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2022 Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Football Predictions and Betting Odds

by Cameron McQuade - 8/24/2022

Louisiana Ragin Cajuns predictions Chandler Fields

The last 3 seasons have been phenomenal for the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, securing three bowl victories and two Sun Belt titles. Last season we saw Louisiana dominate with a 13-1 record, and new head coach Michael Desormeaux gracefully acquires 11 returning starters from that 13-win team. This season sets out to be a challenging one, though, as the Ragin’ Cajuns lose QB Levi Lewis, along with the Sun Belt being tougher and bigger than ever this year.

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Offense / Defense

Ranking only 64th in the nation last year on offense, the Ragin Cajuns struggled mightily on third downs in 2021. There were many positives and highlights for this offense last year. However, come 2022, the run game will need to improve, while the offensive line stays strong after losing stars O’Cyrus Torrence and Max Mitchell. As we mentioned above, replacing the five-year star QB Lewis will be difficult. There seems to be a 3-way battle for the new job, with front-runner being Lewis’ backup, Chandler Fields. Lance LeGendre from Maryland and Ben Wooldridge from Fresno State will compete for the job with Fields. Leading the backfield this season will be senior RB Chris Smith, who averaged 6.5 yards per touch to go along with 15 touchdowns in his career. Michael Jefferson led the team with 481 receiving yards, averaging close to 27 yards per catch, with four scores. And leading pass catcher Peter LeBlanc returns after making 37 grabs last season for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Last year, the Cajuns defense finished 11th in the nation and first in the Sun Blet. Most of the defensive stars for Louisiana are returning, including Andre Jones and Zi'Yon Hill on the D-Line and Bralen Trahan, Eric Garror and Kam Pedescleaux in the secondary. They do lose top tackler, Lorenzo McCaskill, to the transfer portal, though, while the pass rush loses OLB Chauncey Manac.

Keys to the 2022 Season

Don’t change what works. Last season the Ragin’ Cajuns ran for 34 touchdowns, and it’s not insane to hope for a similar result this year on the ground. The run game really set a tone in almost every game for Louisiana last year, scoring multiple run touchdowns in each of the last 10 games. Plus, averaging 187 yards per game allowed the WR’s to earn some more space, as opposing defensives had to respect the run and look for it each and every play.

Now, taking the ball away on defense is a skill, and having 20 takeaways in the final nine games really helped. On the flip side, is does mean that errors from the opposing team need to happen, which you can’t always count on. It’s hard to say “don’t change” how many turnovers this defense is creating/forcing. However, if they can apply pressure and execute on those 50/50 balls, it will be key to winning many close games this year.

Key 2021 Stats

– 1st Quarter Scoring: Louisiana 106 – Opponents 47
– Fumbles: Opponents 18 (lost 13) – Louisiana 13 (lost 4)
– Extra Points: Louisiana 53-of-58 (91%) – Opponents 27-of-34 (79%)

2022 Betting Odds and Trends

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Over/Under this season is at 8.5 wins. Their odds to win the 2023 College Football Championship are at +150000. Their odds to win the Sun Belt Championship are +250.

2021 The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Betting Results

SU: 13-1

ATS: 7-7

O/U: 4-10

ATS-Home: 4-3

ATS-Road: 3-4

ATS-Favorite: 4-6

ATS-Underdog: 3-1

Predictions

Being in the West with somewhat of a similar roster as last year, I believe, (alongside with Vegas +250) that the Ragin’ Cajuns have a great shot at the Sun Belt again this year before they transition. No games on their schedule seem to be “confirmed” losses, so it’s up to hometown Coach Michael Desormeaux to carry the momentum of last season into this year.

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