It seemed unlikely Louisiana or Delaware would be in a bowl game at different points for different reasons.
Louisiana (6-6) started the season out 1-3 overall with its only win being against FCS McNeese. Then after a thrilling win over Marshall, the Ragin’ Cajuns lost three more games against James Madison, Southern Miss, and Troy – a tough gauntlet in the Sun Belt.
At 2-6, Louisiana had no more room for error if it was going to appear in a bowl. The Ragin’ Cajuns went ahead and closed the regular season with a four-game winning streak over South Alabama, Texas State, Arkansas State, and ULM. And those contests were decided by a collective 19 points.
Delaware (6-6) seemed like it would have enough wins to appear in a bowl game since October. But due to rules for teams moving up to the FBS, the Blue Hens could only appear in a bowl if there weren’t enough bowl-eligible teams with six wins.
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It wasn’t always smooth for Delaware, though. The Blue Hens started out 3-1 with wins over Delaware State, UConn, and FIU. But then they lost three of their next four against Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Liberty with a three-point win over Middle Tennessee.
The Blue Hens pulled off a one-point win over Louisiana Tech, but then lost to Sam Houston and Wake Forest. So they went into their regular season finale at 5-6 and needing a win to end up at .500.
Delaware didn’t just win but did so emphatically with a 61-31 triumph over UTEP. Now the Blue Hens will meet Louisiana in the 68 Ventures Bowl, their first bowl appearance in their first season as an FBS program.
Louisiana vs. Delaware Betting Odds
Delaware is a +1.5 college football betting odds underdog against Louisiana, with the Over/Under being 61.5 as of this writing. The moneyline for Louisiana is -130, while it’s +110 for Delaware.
Louisiana vs. Delaware On TV
The matchup between Louisiana and Delaware will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The contest is taking place at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
Louisiana vs. Delaware Prediction
I predict Louisiana will win and cover the 1.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 61.5 total points.
I could absolutely see this being a high-scoring game. In Delaware’s last four games against G5 teams, the Blue Hens have averaged 34.75 points per game. Louisiana has averaged 34.25 PPG in its last four appearances.
And both teams have talented quarterbacks.
Blue Hens QB Nick Minicucci has thrown for 3,505 yards, 22 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while completing 63% of his passes while rushing for 231 yards and 10 TDs.
Louisiana signal caller Lunch Winfield, who wasn’t always the primary QB for the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2025, has passed for 1,324 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six picks with a 59% completion rate to go with 627 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
But considering how Louisiana closed the season out with four straight wins to get to this point, I think the Ragin’ Cajuns will be just a little bit better in this clash.
