Georgia Southern vs. Troy Odds
| Georgia Southern Odds | +5.5 |
| Troy Odds | -5.5 |
| Moneyline | +180 / -220 |
| Over/Under | 50.5 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute college football odds here. | |
There's going to be a ridiculous amount of sports going on during prime time this Saturday night — so much so that it may be hard to decide which contest to lock in on.
But if you're into run-heavy Sun Belt showdowns, the choice couldn't be easier as Georgia Southern heads to Troy for its first road game under interim head coach Kevin Whitley.
Whitley picked up his first win in his first game as interim head coach last week, but it wasn't pretty.
While the offense accumulated more than 500 rushing yards and averaged over 10 yards per carry, the defense allowed over 500 yards and let up 30 points.
The defense does deserve credit for the win, though, as four interceptions were likely the difference-maker in a 59-33 victory.
Troy is back home after two tough losses on the road.
Last week against South Carolina, the Trojans kept it close until the fourth quarter, at least. Troy was outscored, 7-0, in the fourth in a game in which it scored only one touchdown in each half.
In a battle of a top-20 rushing offense against a top-20 rushing defense, which team has the edge?
Georgia Southern vs. Troy Betting Preview
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern Offense
The Eagles scored double digits in every quarter last weekend against Arkansas State. The Red Wolves couldn’t find a way to stop Georgia Southern on the ground.
Both running backs Logan Wright and Jalen White recorded two touchdowns and 150+ rushing yards each.
Georgia Southern ranks fourth in rushing offense while averaging 287.4 yards per game.
The passing game has not been as successful for the Eagles, as they rank 126th in the nation in passing offense with 109.2 yards per game.
Georgia Southern is 87th nationally in scoring offense, with 25 points per game.
Georgia Southern Defense
The weakness of this Eagles team is without a doubt their defense. They are 114th in the nation in scoring defense by allowing 33.8 points per contest
Last week, they allowed 443 yards through the air against Arkansas State.
So far this season, they have given up 350.6 yards per game through the air while allowing a completion percentage of 60.3%.
There should be some relief this week against the Trojans, though, as Troy only ranks 68th in passing yards per game.
For reference, Arkansas State was third.
Troy Trojans
Troy Offense
Troy has found little success offensively, but that may change this week against one of the worst defenses in the country.
The Trojans rank 53rd in passing offense, averaging 245 yards per game through the air. They are 120th in the country in rushing offense, though, recording only 91.2 yards per game on the ground.
Last week against South Carolina, the rushing game showed improvement. They recorded 155 rushing yards, their most since Week 1 against Southern. The 4.8 yards per carry last week was the highest so far this season for the Trojans.
B.J. Smith became the first 100-yard rusher for Troy so far this season, doing so in place of freshman Kimani Vidal, who was out last week due to injury.
Vidal is hopeful to return this week, but if he's unable to play, the Trojans have zero doubt in Smith's ability after his performance last week.
Troy ranks 96th in scoring offense with 23.8 points per game.
Troy Defense
Troy’s defense is going to have to make strides this week to keep the team in this game against the Eagles. The Trojans have given up an average of 97.8 yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry on the ground this season.
They will be without a doubt tested by a Georgia Southern run game that averages 268 yards per contest. The Eagles completely trashed Arkansas State’s defense, putting up 503 yards and seven scores on the ground while averaging 10 yards per carry.
Georgia Southern vs. Troy Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Georgia Southern and Troy match up statistically:
Georgia Southern Offense vs. Troy Defense
Troy Offense vs. Georgia Southern Defense
Pace of Play / Other
Data via College Football Data, FootballOutsiders, SP+, PFF and SportSource Analytics.
Georgia Southern vs. Troy Betting Pick
Both these teams look to get to 3-3 on the season in an important conference game.
I don't think Troy's defense will be able to stop this Eagles run game. The Trojans should have success against the lacking Georgia Southern pass defense, though.
Expect both these teams to put up points in a hard-fought conference game.
