The Appalachian State Mountaineers take on the Troy Trojans in the Sun Belt Championship Game. Check out our college football odds series for our Appalachian State Troy prediction and pick. Find how to watch Appalachian State Troy.

The Appalachian State Mountaineers are 8-4, while the Troy Trojans are 10-2 entering this game. You could look at those records and assume there's a significant gap in quality between the teams, but that wouldn't be accurate. One of App State's four losses was an overtime defeat at North Carolina. That hardly rates as a bad loss for the Mountaineers. What also has to be said is that App State defeated James Madison on the road, spoiling the Dukes' unbeaten season. App State has been very competitive with quality teams this season. The 8-4 record is not reflective of how tough and competitive the Mountaineers have been over the course of 12 games.

Troy is led by head coach Jon Sumrall, whose name keeps coming up when college head coaching vacancies emerge. No one knows if Sumrall will try to find a bigger job in the current coaching carousel, but the speculation isn't going to stop anytime soon. Sumrall has done well at Troy, enabling the Trojans to remain one of the best programs in the Sun Belt after previous successes under coaches Larry Blakeney and Neal Brown. At just 41 years of age, Sumrall has a very bright future. Doing well as a head coach in the Sun Belt is often a catapult to a bigger head coaching job in the South or Mid-Atlantic regions. Having Sumrall on the sidelines might be Troy's biggest single advantage in this Sun Belt Championship Game.

Here are the Appalachian State-Troy College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: Appalachian State-Troy Odds

Appalachian State Mountaineers: +5.5 (-105)

Troy Trojans: -5.5 (-115)

Over: 52.5 (-108)

Under: 52.5 (-112)

How To Watch Appalachian State vs Troy

Time: 4:00 pm ET / 1:00 pm PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Appalachian State Could Cover the Spread

The Mountaineers' win over James Madison was a rugged, tough, 26-23 game in which the App State defense performed beautifully. It was the best showing of the year for the Mountaineers' defense, which should be able to keep this game against Troy close the whole way. If James Madison couldn't really break free against ASU's defense, Troy is unlikely to do substantially better. App State's game against North Carolina put the Mountaineers up against Drake Maye, a future top-10 NFL draft pick. The game against James Madison was surrounded by a media circus and involved a lot of national publicity. App State has handled some unique and challenging situations and has not lost a game since October 21. That should really pay off for the Mountaineers in this championship battle.

Why Troy Could Cover the Spread

The Troy Trojans are a 10-win team. They haven't played Appalachian State this season, which means they aren't in a position where they won the first game between the two teams and are playing a rematch. Not having previously played App State makes the matchup fresh for Troy and gives the game a bigger feel. The Trojans, who have been solid all season long, should relish the way this game sets up for them. Troy also hasn't lost in more than a month and should be very confident about its position heading into kickoff.

Final Appalachian State-Troy Prediction & Pick

This game could twist in any number of directions. It's best to stay away.

Final Appalachian State-Troy Prediction & Pick: Troy -5.5