We have a Friday night Week 10 showdown in East Hartford, Connecticut, as the UConn Huskies (5-3) welcome in the Georgia State Panthers (2-5, 0-4 SBC). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Georgia State enters this matchup having dropped 4 straight games after its shocking upset win over Vanderbilt in early September.
UConn, meanwhile, has had quite a successful season after finishing 3-9 a year ago. The Huskies find themselves on the cusp of bowl eligibility, which would be their 1st postseason trip since 2022.
It's worth noting these 2 teams played each other a season ago down in Atlanta in a game Georgia State won 35-14.
This time, UConn enters as a -8.5 favorite with an over/under of 48.
Can the Panthers go into UConn and pull off an upset win, or will the Huskies defend home turf and clinch a postseason berth at home?
Let's dive into my Georgia State vs. UConn predictions and college football picks for Friday, Nov. 1.
Georgia State Panthers vs. UConn Huskies Prediction
- Georgia State vs. UConn Pick: UConn -8.5
My UConn vs. Georgia State best bet is on the Huskies to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Georgia State vs. UConn Odds, Spread, Line
| Georgia State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -105 | 47.5 -115o / -105u | +240 |
| UConn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -115 | 47.5 -115o / -105u | -290 |
- Georgia State vs. UConn Spread: UConn -7
- Georgia State vs. UConn Over/Under: 47.5 Points
- Georgia State vs. UConn Moneyline: UConn -290 · Georgia State +240
Georgia State Football vs. UConn Football Preview
Georgia State Panthers Betting Preview: Gibson Elevating Offense
Dell McGee is in his first full season as head coach for the Panthers after taking over and securing a win in their bowl game a year ago.
He has not had the season he had hoped for given their recent struggles to secure a win. UConn offers a unique challenge, but this feels like a game he needs to win to try and salvage this season and get back on track.
With the coaching changes before the season, Georgia State had some players transfer out, including star running back Marcus Carroll, who's now at Missouri. Because of that, McGee has essentially been working with a new offense.
The Panthers started their season with Pitt transfer quarterback Christian Veilleux under center, but they have started to transition to their backup, Zach Gibson, in the last few weeks.
I would expect Gibson to continue to take the lion's share of snaps under center, as he has thrown for four touchdowns and no interceptions in essentially two starts.
He has helped improve this passing attack, which now ranks 63rd in Pass Success Rate. McGee puts a lot of trust in his quarterbacks, as they rank 37th in Pass Rate as well.
The offense struggles to connect on big plays and scoring, coming into this game at 92nd in Explosiveness.
They will need Gibson to continue to play well this week and keep the offense steady to stay in this game and potentially win this one outright.
The Panthers defense has struggled this season, allowing 32 points per game.
They have been one of the worst teams when it comes to getting off the field and limiting field goals when teams get into the red zone, ranking 133rd in Points Per Opportunity Allowed. This will be a problem against a UConn team that has been exceptional in that area.
The stronger part of this stop unit has been the run defense, where they rank 75th in Rush Success Rate allowed. However, the Panthers will need to improve in terms of giving up big plays, as they're 109th in Rush Explosiveness allowed.
This defense will need to play extremely well to slow the UConn offense down.
Connecticut Huskies Betting Preview: Bowl Bound?
UConn head coach Jim Mora looks like he has finally started to hit his stride at UConn after a decent Year 1 followed by a down year a season ago. Now, he has his team poised to get back to a bowl game.
Mora has had a long football past, and he looks to be helping fix a Connecticut football program that has struggled in recent memory.
UConn has followed a similar offensive season as Georgia State, as it rolled out Nick Evers as its starting quarterback in Week 1 before turning to Joe Fagnano.
The Huskies are averaging 31.5 points per game, and Fagnano has been a major part of that. The signal-caller has thrown for 11 touchdowns and only three interceptions on the season, pacing this offense that ranks 97th in Success Rate.
The key stat that has improved with Fagnano as QB1 has been UConn's ability to connect on big plays, ranking 24th in Explosiveness. This Huskies offense has the ability to pop off and score on a big play at any moment.
It helps that they have a steady ground game led by Durell Robinson, who averages nearly eight yards per carry.
The Huskies defense has been much improved from a season ago when they gave up nearly 30 points per game. Now, they allow just over 20 points per game.
While the Huskies have been good at limiting points, they have not necessarily slowed teams down this season. They rank 97th in Success Rate allowed and 73rd in Explosiveness allowed.
Opponents can attack this defense and rack up yards, but UConn has been excellent at limiting touchdowns. It will need to continue that trend to come away with a big win here.
How to Bet My Georgia State vs. UConn Pick
Ultimately, this game comes down to Finishing Drives both offensively and defensively.
UConn is hands down better on both sides of the ball in that area, and it starts with Robinson’s ability to punish teams on the ground as well as Fagnano’s steady presence.
I'll trust the Huskies to find their way into the end zone instead of settling for field goals.
Pick: UConn -8.5
Georgia State vs. UConn Start Time, TV Channel, How to Watch
| Location: | Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford, CT |
| Date: | Friday, Nov. 1 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | CBS Sports Network |
Georgia State heads north to Connecticut to take on UConn on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Georgia State vs. UConn Betting Trends
- 89% of bets and 83% of the money are on UConn to cover the spread
- 91% of bets and 69% of the money on the moneyline are on UConn to win outright
- 77% of bets and 89% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NCAAF public betting & money percentages page.
Georgia State vs. UConn Weather
