Georgia Southern is a 7.5-point favorite in the Birmingham Bowl; bettors might back GS -7.5 expecting JC French IV and Camden Brown to exploit Appalachian State’s porous secondary. Consider the over if both teams lean pass-heavy; a conservative wager: Georgia Southern to cover.
Birmingham Bowl Preview: Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State
Georgia Southern and Appalachian State meet in the Birmingham Bowl with the Eagles installed as 7.5-point favorites after Georgia Southern finished the regular season 6-6. Appalachian State arrives at 5-7, searching for a late-season turnaround in a neutral-site bowl game.
Odds, Spread and Total
Georgia Southern spread: -7.5 Appalachian State spread: +7.5 Moneyline: Georgia Southern -280, Appalachian State +225 Total: 59.5
Game Details
Date: Monday, December 29 Kickoff: 2:00 PM EST Venue: Protective Stadium TV: ESPN
Key Players to Watch
JC French IV — Georgia Southern (Quarterback)
French has driven a productive passing attack all season and matches up well against an App State secondary that surrendered the most passing yards in the Sun Belt.
Camden Brown — Georgia Southern (Wide Receiver)
Brown ranks second in the Sun Belt with 1,049 receiving yards and leads the conference with 14 receiving touchdowns. He has five 100-yard games and four multi-TD performances this year.
Jaquari Lewis — Appalachian State (Running Back)
The true freshman has taken on expanded carries late in the season, piling up 283 yards and two TDs on 55 carries across his last two games. He’s a likely focal point if App State wants to attack a weak run defense.
Matchup Analysis
Georgia Southern’s passing game is the matchup story: French and Brown can expose App State’s leaky secondary. Appalachian State has struggled to run consistently and has dropped its last five games by an average of 12.4 points, raising concerns about their ability to keep pace in a shootout. Recent history favors Georgia Southern, which has covered four of the last five meetings.
Prediction and Betting Pick
Georgia Southern projects to control the game through the air and should be able to cover the 7.5-point spread at a neutral site. PICK: Georgia Southern -7.5. For totals, expect offensive production from the Eagles — the over is viable if App State abandons the ground game and keeps trading passes.
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Predictions, odds and key players to watch for the Georgia Southern-Appalachian State matchup on Monday
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