Only two college football Thursdays remain in the 2025-26 season. This week's Thursday slate features a standalone contest in the Sun Belt Conference, with the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (4-6, 3-3 Sun Belt) squaring off against the Arkansas State Red Wolves (5-5, 4-2 Sun Belt). I've got you covered from a sports betting angle, and below I'll dive into the key metrics, trends and stats to get you primed for this conference clash with our best college football picks.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, AR.
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Thursday's Best College Football Picks: Week 13
(Odds courtesy of bet365)
Louisiana (+2.5) vs. Arkansas State (-2.5) | O/U 54.0 (-110/-110)
If the whales of the sports betting world had any interest in Arkansas State, then this spread would've moved off of 2.5 and out to 3 points by now. With this sign, parlayed with some of the statistics I'll lay out below, I think it's worth riding with Louisiana in this game. Let's take the +120 flier on the Ragin' Cajuns to win this game outright.
Both programs have struggled with turnovers this season, but the Red Wolves enter the weekend with a -0.8 turnover margin per game. That's just 118th out of 136 qualifying schools. For the Ragin' Cajuns, they're averaging 1.30 interceptions per game (131st), but I don't think they'll need to lean on their passing game very much in this contest.
Louisiana has a big edge on the ground with dual-threat quarterback Lunch Winfield leading the way. They rank 35th in rushing yards per game (186) and 38th in yards per rush attempt (4.74). On the opposite side, Arkansas State is conceding 179.1 rushing yards per game (112th) and allowing 4.75 yards per rush attempt (111th).
Really, I believe the handicap is as simple as that. If Louisiana takes care of the ball and leans on their ground game, which they should, considering they're 19th in rushing play rate (58.81%), they'll be competitive in this game and have a great chance to win. The Ragin' Cajuns have won two consecutive games overall, and they're also 6-1 straight up (SU) in their last seven meetings with the Red Wolves. Give me Louisiana on the Moneyline.
Bet: Louisiana Rajin' Cajuns Moneyline (+120)
