Welcome to the Battle of the Bayou, where two teams that genuinely don't like each other renew their rivalry. For Louisiana-Monroe, this is effectively its bowl game. The Warhawks are 2-7 and have little else to play for, but getting their hated rival in Monroe gives them something worth getting up for. And if recent history tells us anything, they'll be ready. Louisiana-Lafayette is 6-3 and has been relatively good against the spread, starting 6-1 before coming back down to earth with two recent ATS defeats. The Ragin' Cajuns survived South Alabama and, outside of USC, could conceivably be sitting with just one loss on the year. There's plenty of allure with the visitors from Lafayette. The Cajuns have also won eight of the last ten meetings against ULM, including the last three straight. But last year's encounter went to overtime, demonstrating that the Warhawks can make this competitive regardless of their record. That's what garners attention.
Monroe hasn't enjoyed much relevance recently and its struggles are well documented, getting torqued up by FCS Southeastern Louisiana earlier this season, for example, when the Hawks lost outright and gave up 38 to the Lions. But this isn't just another game on the schedule. It's a rivalry against an opponent the Warhawks desperately want to beat, played in their own backyard. Louisiana is the better team on paper, but being better doesn't automatically translate into winning by double digits in a rivalry of this magnitude. I expect ULM to be fully invested here and make this an affair.
Louisiana vs ULM prediction: UL Monroe +10.5 (-104) available at time of publishing. Playable to +9.5.
