A real NCAAF betting buzz is expected in and around the Brooks Stadium on Thursday evening when the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (2-1) play host to Sun Belt Conference foes the Georgia State Bulldogs (3-0).
Both outfits enter the tie in high spirits on the back of recent wins and positive starts to the 2023 campaign. The teams have been successful against the spreads in the latest outings, and they have both produced a great offensive output along the way, meaning we are in for a super entertaining football affair in Conway, South Carolina.
The Chanticleers are 6.5 favorites to win, while the Over/Under lines flirt between 60 and 61 points, depending on the sportsbook.
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Grayson McCall and Sam Pinckney Power Up the Chanticleers
Coastal Carolina started the season with an expected defeat to the UCLA Bruins, losing 27-13 as a 15-point underdog. They bounced back with successive wins against the spread over Jacksonville State and Duquesne, scoring 96 points in the process.
The offensive line seems to have picked up the wanted momentum, which comes as no surprise, knowing Tim Beck took over Jamey Chindwell as the new head coach. This is Tim’s maiden coaching gig, and he is already proving the reputation of an offensive-minded coach.
Beck has an extremely strong catalyst for his offensive successes in Grayson McCall. The veteran quarterback is a 70% career passer and has a decent receiving corps led by Sam Pinckney. Sam has already been aimed at 27 times in 3 games, completing 15 catches and 2 touchdowns in the process.
Coastal Carolina is the 39th team in the FBS in points per game (36.3) this season, and they are also in the top 40 (35th) in pass offense with 277 yards through the air per game.
On the defensive end, the Chanticleers are surprisingly vulnerable on the ground, being 108th in the FBS with 174 rushing yards allowed per outing. This will be the music to the ears of Marcus Carroll, who already has seven scores this year for the Panthers.
The Panthers Are Among the Worst Teams in the Nation in Pass Defense
Georgia State did not enter the season with the highest ambitions after winning just four games last year. Nonetheless, they have managed a 3-0 record by justifying the favorites’ tag in each of the inaugural three weeks.
The schedule now gets much more complicated for Shawn Elliott and his troops, starting with Thursday’s trip to South Carolina. Georgia State has changed its defensive unit significantly between the two seasons, with Antavious Lane, Quavian White, and Thomas Gore all gone this summer.
Defensive coordinator Chad Staggs is an interesting addition, as he came in straight from Coastal Carolina. Despite the wins, the Panthers’ pass defense did not look great at all in the opening three outings. Georgia State is the eighth-weakest program in an entire FBS in passing yards allowed per game (317.3) this year.
The story is completely different with their rush defense, as the Panthers are only giving up 83.3 rushing yards per game this season, which puts them inside the top 20 in the nation in this parameter.
That said, Staggs will have a mountain to climb to take this defensive unit to a safe place, especially knowing how difficult the schedule will get for this school in the coming weeks.
Best Pick — Over 60.5 Points (-110) with BetMGM
We have a pretty clear situation here. Both teams thrive offensively and struggle defensively going into this matchup. They are both inside the top 50 in the country in yards per game and around 100th in the nation in yards conceded per game.
Furthermore, the specific player matchups should make this a genuine point fest which is why we like the Over pick despite such a big line. It is worth noting that most sportsbooks have the totals line at 61.5 points, adding value to this pick at BetMGM.
Bet on Over 60.5 Points at -110 Odds with BetMGM
Alternative Pick — Coastal Carolina -6.5 (-110) with DraftKings
While we do not necessarily trust Coastal Carolina’s defensive unit in this matchup, the likes of Grayson McCall and Sam Pinckney should cause quite a bit of damage to the horrendous Georgia State pass defense.
The hosts’ offense should thus cover for all defensive liabilities, and we would not be surprised to see them winning by double digits on Thursday.Bet on Coastal Carolina To Win -6.5 at -110 odds with DraftKings »
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