The Georgia Southern Eagles and the Appalachian State Mountaineers meet Monday in JLab Birmingham Bowl college football action from Protective Stadium. Here’s an Appalachian State vs Georgia Southern Prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best App State vs Georgia Southern pick.
Georgia Southern Eagles Betting Preview
Georgia Southern had quite the wild campaign this year, going just 2-4 over the first six games. Those losses came versus Fresno State, USC, James Madison and Southern Miss. The good news is that the Eagles finished off with a 4-2 run featuring wins over Georgia State, App State, Coastal Carolina and Marshall (with losses to Arkansas State and Old Dominion otherwise). That would leave Georgia Southern with a 6-6 overall record.
In their last outing back on November 29 versus Marshall, the Eagles took a 24-12 edge into the final quarter. Georgia Southern gave up an unanswered TD from there but held on for the win in the end 24-19. QB JC French had 313 yards with two scores on 24-of-37 passing and Taeo Todd had 13 carries for 60 yards. Leading the receivers was Camden Brown with 157 yards and two scores on nine catches.
App State Mountaineers Betting Preview
Over on the App State side, they kicked off the season on a great run then limped into the finish. The Mountaineers beat Charlotte, Lindenwood, Oregon State and Georgia State during an opening 4-2 run, then lost to Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion, Georgia Southern, James Madison and Arkansas State (with a lone win over Marshall) from there. That would leave App State at 5-7 overall.
Matched up against Arkansas State back on November 29, the Mountaineers kept the pace the whole way and scored in every quarter. App State also gave up points in every quarter though, eventually losing a tough one 30-29. QB JJ Kohl had 271 yards with two scores on 26-of-39 passing and Jaquari Lewis carried 22 times for 108 yards. David Larkins had six catches for 72 yards in the loss.
Why the Appalachian State Mountaineers will win
- Georgia Southern has lost four of its last five December games as a favorite.
- The underdog has won three of Appalachian State’s last four games.
- Georgia Southern has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven games at neutral venues.
- The underdog has covered the spread in each of Georgia Southern’s last three Bowl games.
Why the Georgia Southern Eagles will win
- Appalachian State has lost five of its last six games against conference opponents.
- Georgia Southern has won three of its last four games.
- Appalachian State has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games in December.
- Georgia Southern has covered the spread in four of its last five games as a favorite.
Total Points Facts
- Five of Georgia Southern’s last six games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
- Four of Appalachian State’s last five December games against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
Appalachian State Mountaineers Player Prop Facts
- Heading into the bowl games, Jaquari Lewis ranks 11th amongst qualified players for catch rate (87.1%) this season.
Georgia Southern Eagles Player Prop Facts
- Heading into the bowl games, Camden Brown leads the league for receiving touchdowns (14) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Appalachian State ranks 123rd among FBS teams for 3rd down conversion percentage this season (33.0).
- Appalachian State ranks 119th among FBS teams for 1st downs against this season (274).
- Georgia Southern ranks 133rd among FBS teams for rushing yards allowed per game this season (220.7).
- Georgia Southern ranks 132nd among FBS teams for H1 opponent points per game this season (19.3).
App State vs Georgia Southern Prediction
I’ll stay with Georgia Southern. The Eagles were able to eke past Marshall in order to get bowl-eligible this year and posted a nice effort in the process. GA Southern put up 528 yards in that one with 31 first downs, 6.1 yards per play and 11-of-19 on third-down tries. The defense gave up 308 passing yards and 7.3 yards per play but just 3-of-10 on third downs. It was a nice recovery after notching just 10 points in a blowout loss to Old Dominion the week before.
These teams last met up not that long ago: a 25-23 Georgia Southern victory at Kidd Brewer Stadium on November 6. The Eagles owned the first half 19-3 but App State made a late run to create an interesting finish. The Mountaineers managed 425 offensive yards (348 passing) with 23 first downs but went just 4-of-14 on third downs. Georgia Southern’s offense generated 494 yards with 25 first downs and no turnovers on the other side. Another clean effort like that will put the Eagles in a great spot here.