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The Georgia Southern Eagles (8-4) and Sam Houston Bearkats (9-3) meet Thursday in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Caesars Superdome. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s college football odds around the Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Bearkats are readying for their first-ever bowl game as an FBS program, but they’ll do so without coach K.C. Keeler. He took the Temple head coaching job, so offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen will lead the team.
Sam Houston also has a laundry list of opt-outs following their coach out of the door, including leading rusher RB Jay Ducker. DBs Isaiah Cash and David Fisher have been visiting and receiving offers from power conference schools, so the back end of the defense might have some big-time holes in this game.
The Bearkats defense was nasty this season, allowing just 315.6 total yards, 174.1 passing yards and 20.0 points per game this season, but that figures to take a hit with all of the defections. In fact, Sam Houston was an Under machine this season, with the total going low in 9 of 12 games, including the final 6 outings.
The Eagles do not have a lot of opt outs or portal players heading into this one, and Georgia Southern enters with 3 wins and covers in the final 4 games. This is a team which fell to the Boise State Broncos 56-45 in the opener back on Aug. 31, covering as a 13-point underdog. It also has wins over bowl teams James Madison, Marshall and South Alabama.
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Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college football odds. Lines last updated Wednesday at 2:52 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Georgia Southern -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Sam Houston +165 (bet $100 to win $165)
- Against the spread: Georgia Southern -4.5 (-110) | Sam Houston +4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 48.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston picks and predictions
Prediction
Georgia Southern 26, Sam Houston 16
Moneyline
Georgia Southern (-200) will cost you 2 times your potential return, and for a standalone wager that’s a bit much. However, as part of a multi-leg parlay, it isn’t that much of a risk tossing the Eagles onto a betslip with 3 or more plays.
PASS, as a standalone wager.
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Against the spread
PLAY GEORGIA SOUTHERN -4.5 (-110) laying the points.
It would have been unthinkable during the season, as Sam Houston +4.5 (-110) is looking for its 10th victory, it’s playing its first-ever FBS bowl game, etc. However, there is just too much upheaval on the Bearkats’ side of the ball, from portal defections, especially on defense, to the coaching staff.
The Eagles present a lot more stability and experience, and it will show, especially as the game wears on into the second half in NOLA.
Over/Under
UNDER 48.5 (-110) is still the play in a Sam Houston game, regardless of the portal losses.
Sam Houston had an amazing defense, and it’s likely the backups backfill the secondary losses to at least hold their own against the Eagles. Plus, Georgia Southern’s offense was simply so-so this season, going for 28.2 PPG and 364.1 total yards per game, so the Bearkats should still keep a lid on things, for the most part.
Sam will have trouble moving the ball, though. Losing Ducker is one thing, but the Bearkats had RBs John Gentry, Zach Hrbacek and DJ McKinney hit the portal, too, leaving the position depleted.
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