It is two of the top teams in the Sun Belt facing off as Georgia State visits Georgia Southern. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Georgia State-Georgia Southern prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Georgia State Panthers enter the game at 6-1 on the season with a 3-1 record in Sun Belt play. After starting 4-0 with wins over Rhode Island, UCONN, Charlotte, and Coastal Carolina, they would lose their first game of the year against Troy. They struggled on offense in the game, scoring just seven, and falling 28-7. The Panthers would rebound though. They beat Marshall and then last time out, beat Louisiana. The Panthers had a 20-0 lead but Louisiana would make a comeback. They made it a 20-17 game in the third quarter, but Georgia State would hold on to win.
The Georgia Southern Eagles come in at 5-2 on the year. They would start with wins against The Citadel and UAB before losing to Wisconsin 35-14. They would then beat Ball State and Coastal Carolina before having to face James Madison. The Eagles were dominated in the game, losing 41-13, but last time out, they would get their fifth win of the year. That was against UL Monroe as they won 38-28.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Georgia State-Georgia Southern Odds
Georgia State: +1.5 (-102)
Georgia Southern: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 63.5 (-110)
Under: 63.5 (-110)
How to Watch Georgia State vs. Georgia Southern Week 9
Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Georgia State Will Cover The Spread
Darren Grainger leads this Georgia State offense this year. He has completed 131 of 191 passes this year for 1,631 yards and ten touchdowns. He has nine big-time throws according to PFF, and has protected the ball well this year. Grainger has just two interceptions this year, both of them coming in the loss to Troy. Further, he has just eight turnover-worthy passes this year. Grainger is also good at avoiding sacks. He has been protected well and sacked just seven times this year.
Grainger has also been solid on the ground this year. He has run for 440 yards on the ground, with just seven of them being scramble yards. He has also scored five times on the ground but has fumbled six times. The rushing game this year is led by Marcus Carroll. Carroll has 168 rushes this year for 846 yards on the season. He has been solid after contact this year as well, with 513 yards after contact on the season. Carroll has also scored ten times this season.
Georgia State also has two solid receivers this year. Robert Lewis has brought in 34 of 39 targets this year for 561 yards. He also has five touchdowns this season, with 248 yards after the catch. Tailique Williams also has been solid, bringing in 28 of 36 targets this year. He has brought in 478 yards and three scores with 325 yards after the catch.
The pass rush needs some work though. They have just 15 sacks this year, with Kevin Swint having four of them. He has done that on just seven pressures. Javon Denis has been getting pressure, with 20 pressures this year, but he has just two sacks. Georgia State has been solid this year on defense. They are giving up just 22.9 points per game this year, and just 17 last time out. Justin Abraham has been leading the run defense this year, with 25 tackles. He also has 19 stops for offensive failures. In coverage, Gavin Pringle leads the way. He has three interceptions with two pass breakups as well this year.
Why Georgia Southern Will Cover The Spread
Davis Brin leads the Georgia Southern offense. He has completed 215 of 351 passers this year for 2,132 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has thrown 15 big-time throws according to PFF this year. While he has been making big plays, he has also been turning the ball over a fair amount. Brin has 11 interceptions this year, while also throwing another 17 turnover-worthy passes. Brin has also fumbled five times this year but scored once on the ground.
On the ground this year, two running backs have been doing the work. Jalen White leads the way with 475 yards on the ground with five touchdowns on the season. He has been getting solid blocking with over two yards before contact this year, and he has 306 yards after contact. OJ Arnold has 330 yards this year on the ground while scoring three times. Combined, they have been elusive as well, with 38 forced missed tackles.
Meanwhile, Khaleb Hood and Derwin Burgess are leading the receiving game. Hood has 598 yards this year with three touchdowns this season. He has been good after the catch as well, with 237 yards after the catch. Burgess has 466 yards this year with four touchdowns on the season. He also has 194 yards after the catch this year.
Overall, Georgia Southern is giving up 24.3 points per game this year. Last time out they gave up 28 points though. Meanwhile, the pass rush has 16 sacks this year. Isaac Walker has four sacks this year on 16 pressures, while both Elhadj Fall and Marques Watson-Trent have three sacks with eight total pressures each. In coverage, Georgia Southern has nine interceptions this year and has given up just eight touchdowns this year through the air. TJ Smith leads the way with two interceptions this year and a pass breakup.
Final Georgia State-Georgia Southern Prediction & Pick
Georgia Southern has been great on offense this year. They have scored over 30 points in five of their seven games. The only games they have not done that, they lost. Meanwhile, Georgia State had scored over 30 five times this year as well, winning each of those games. They have been solid on defense as well this year, giving up over 25 points just twice this year, with one of those games being the loss to Troy. This is going to be a great Sun Belt battle and will come down to who can take advantage of the other team’s mistakes. Davis Brin makes more mistakes than Darren Grainger. That will be the difference in this game.
Final Georgia State-Georgia Southern Prediction & Pick: Georgia State +1.5 (-102)
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