Georgia Southern vs. South Alabama Odds
| Georgia Southern Odds | +3 (-115) |
| South Alabama Odds | -3 (-105) |
| Moneyline | +130 / -150 |
| Over/Under | 49.5 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPNU |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute college football odds here. | |
The Eagles and Jaguars enter this week's Thursday night matchup coming off losses.
Georgia Southern came back from a 24-3 deficit in the third quarter vs. Troy to tie the game up with less than seven minutes left. Unfortunately, the Eagles still lost following a go-ahead field goal with less than two minutes left.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars went to overtime against Texas State but faced the same outcome, a loss due to a late field goal.
Both squads are looking to get out of the basement in their divisions, especially after allowing over 400 yards of total offense last week.
Will these teams find themselves in another down-to-the-wire game this week? And if so, who comes out on top?
Georgia Southern vs. South Alabama Betting Preview
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern Offense
The Eagles' passing game cost them last week against Troy.
Quarterback Justin Tomlin struggled, recording three interceptions and not a single touchdown.
But it wasn't just the passing attack — the most essential part of their offense — the ground game couldn't even get going either. The Eagles were limited to just 82 rushing yards and averaged only two yards per carry.
If the Eagles cant establish the rushing attack this week against South Alabama, I can't see them having much of a chance against the Jags.
Offensively, the Eagles average 380 yards per game and 24.8 points per game.
Georgia Southern Defense
The Eagles' defense has struggled, allowing every opponent so far to score at least 25 points.
Last week against Troy, the unit allowed them to record 409 yards.
If they do that again this week against the Jags, another loss will likely come along with it.
On average, the Eagles allow 483 yards and 32.7 points per game.
At the same time, they rank 76th in Defensive Success Rate, 101st in points allowed per drive, 119th in yards per play (7.14) and 120th in yards per pass attempt (9.4).
South Alabama Jaguars
South Alabama Offense
The highlight of the Jaguars' offense is receiver Jalen Tolbert, who may very well be one of the best receivers in college football this year.
Tolbert leads the Sun Belt and ranks eighth nationally with 108 receiving yards per game.
While quarterback Jake Bentley is completing 66.8% of his passes and ranks third in the Sun Belt with 7.5 yards per pass attempt, he should be able to take advantage of an Eagles team that ranks 128th nationally in yards allowed per game.
The Jaguars are averaging 347 yards and 25 points per game.
South Alabama Defense
The defense has been the brightest spot for the Jaguars.
Opponents have averaged just 20 points and 310.8 total yards per game, both of which rank third in the Sun Belt and among the top 30 in the FBS.
South Alabama is even better in advanced stats, including No. 6 in Defensive Success Rate and No. 19 in points allowed per drive.
Specifically, the Jaguars' run defense may be the biggest issue for the Eagles.
While this Georgia Southern team is one of the best rushing teams South Alabama will see this year, the Jags are limiting opponents to less than 100 yards per game so far.
Limiting the Eagles' run game is a clear path to victory for South Alabama.
Georgia Southern vs. South Alabama Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Georgia Southern and South Alabama match up statistically:
Georgia Southern Offense vs. South Alabama Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 23 | 1 | |
| Line Yards | 84 | 1 | |
| Pass Success | 125 | 44 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 69 | 78 | |
| Big Play | 103 | 54 | |
| Havoc | 74 | 38 | |
| Finishing Drives | 124 | 1 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
South Alabama Offense vs. Georgia Southern Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 87 | 75 | |
| Line Yards | 79 | 91 | |
| Pass Success | 90 | 100 | |
| Pass Blocking** | 115 | 91 | |
| Big Play | 130 | 111 | |
| Havoc | 107 | 49 | |
| Finishing Drives | 121 | 58 | |
| ** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.) | |||
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 122 | 105 |
| Coverage | 108 | 37 |
| Middle 8 | 98 | 21 |
| SP+ Special Teams | 12 | 52 |
| Plays per Minute | 68 | 82 |
| Rush Rate | 67.6% (6) | 57.6% (49) |
Georgia Southern is 6-3 ATS in its last nine games and 7-0 SU in its last seven games against South Alabama. The total has gone over in four of Georgia Southern's last six games played in Week 7.
South Alabama is 3-6 ATS in its last nine games.
Georgia Southern vs. South Alabama Betting Pick
South Alabama has never beaten Georgia Southern in seven games in this series.
I think both these teams will come into this game hungry for a win, but they both have one major issue — both defenses match up awfully against the opposing offense.
Georgia Southern ranks outside the top 100 in passing defense, while South Alabama ranks inside the top 20 in completion percentage. South Alabama ranks outside the top 50 in rush yards per game, while Georgia Southern ranks top-20 in rush yards per game and yards per rush.
I'm not confident enough in either of these teams to be sure who wins, but I know both squads will be able to put points on the board.
So, that's where I'm putting my money. I have the over at 50 (-110) and would bet it up to 52.5 (-115).
