Coastal Carolina vs. Texas State Odds
| Coastal Carolina Odds | -17 [BET NOW] |
| Texas State Odds | +17 [BET NOW] |
| Moneyline | -741 / +520 [BET NOW] |
| Over/Under | 57.5 [BET NOW] |
| Time | 3 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Coastal Carolina looks to maintain its undefeated season and continue its quest for a Sun Belt title on Saturday as it takes on Texas State on the road.
It has been a dream season for the Chanticleers, especially after beating division rival Appalachian State last Saturday. Not to mention they covered the -4.5 spread in one of the more horrific beats of the college football season.
A horrible bad beat from earlier.
App State (+4.5) backers lose on a 38-yard pick-six off a 4th-and-20 heave with 1:20 left.
Coastal Carolina wins 34-23. Chanticleers hadn’t been covering the spread the entire game.pic.twitter.com/ZV8XfrosTJ
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) November 21, 2020
Either way, the Chanticleers are now 9-0 and in a look-ahead spot, as they have to play at Liberty next weekend.
Texas State is having another down year but picked up its second win of the season last weekend, toppling Arkansas State in an offense-heavy game at home. The Bobcats are no slouch on the offensive side of the ball, so Coastal's defense better come ready to play on Saturday.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Offense
The main reason Coastal Carolina is undefeated is because of its passing attack. The Chanticleers are 12th in the country in Passing Success and explosiveness behind freshman quarterback Grayson McCall. McCall has been unbelievable this season, throwing for 18 touchdowns compared to only one interception. He also has a ridiculous 10.2 yards per pass attempt average, which ranks seventh in college football.
He's developed a nice connection with Jaivon Heiligh, who leads the team with 38 catches and has a crazy 17.0 yards per catch average. Coastal should be able to throw the ball all over the yard on Saturday because Texas State will be one of the worst secondaries it's seen all season.
Coastal isn't a one-trick pony on offense, either. The Chanticleers are 51st in Rushing Success, per College Football Data, and are averaging 4.7 yards per carry on the ground. The Bobcats also have struggled against the run, so Coastal should be able to move the ball at will on Saturday in San Marcos.
Defense
Coastal's defense has been top-45 in almost every statistical category. It ranks are 28th in Defensive Success Rate, 39th in explosiveness allowed, and 41st in Havoc, per College Football Data.
The strength for Coastal, though, lies in its secondary. It's 28th in Passing Success Allowed, 10th in passing explosiveness allowed, and allows only 6.5 yards per pass attempt to opposing quarterbacks. It will need that secondary to be on its A-game Saturday because the Bobcats can move the ball through the air despite their 2-9 record.
Texas State Bobcats
Offense
Second-year head coach Jake Spavital has implemented a fast-paced offense that has been effective at times. However, the Bobcats offense has drastically improved from last season, as it's putting up nearly 30 points a game.
Memphis transfer Brady McBride is starting to find his game in San Marcos and has lit up the scoreboard in the last two games. McBride has thrown for seven touchdowns compared to no interceptions against Georgia Southern and Arkansas State. He's averaged a crazy 10.31 yards per pass attempt in those two games, so the Bobcats should be able to move the ball through the air on Saturday.
Texas State has been extremely pass-heavy over the past two games, but its run game hasn't been horrible. Its tandem of running backs averages 5.1 yards per carry. The Bobcats may need their run game at home given how good Coastal's secondary is.
Defense
Texas State has been one of the worst defenses in college football this season. It sits 109th in Defensive Success Rate and 117th in Havoc, per College Football Data. Its main issues have come versus the pass, as it's 117th in Defensive Passing Success and allowing 7.8 yards per attempt. That's going to be a big issue since it'll be facing one of the best passing attacks in the country on Saturday.
Texas State has also struggled against the run, allowing almost five yards per carry and ranking 91st in Defensive Rushing Success. Over their last two games, the Bobcats defense has allowed 95 points and over 1,000 yards to Georgia Southern and Arkansas State. So, how are things going to be any different on Saturday when they face the best offense in the Sun Belt?
Betting Analysis & Pick
I think Coastal is going to roll on offense in this game given how bad Texas State's defense has been the last two games. However, I do think McBride and the Bobcat offense will be able to move the ball, so we might have a high-scoring affair on our hands.
There's a 50% chance of light rain on Saturday in San Marcos, but it won't be very windy. I have the total projected at 67.68 points, so I think there's value on the over at 58 points.
Pick: Over 58 points (up to 62.5).
