Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston: R+L Carriers Bowl Pick & Preview

Georgia Southern Eagles (8-4 SU, ATS 7-3-1)  vs Sam Houston Bearkats (9-3 SU, ATS 6-5)

Date: 7:00 EST Thursday, December 19th

Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA

TV: ESPN2

Point Spread: GSU -5.5/SHSU +5.5 (Did you know you can bet games at -105 instead of -110?)

Money Line: GS/SH +171

Over/Under: 46.5

Georgia Southern is the -5.5 point favorite as they head into their matchup with the Sam Houston Bearkats on Thursday, December 19th. The game is set for 7:00 ET at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with ESPN2 handling the broadcast. This is a non-conference matchup between the two teams, with Georgia Southern coming in at 8-4 and the Bearkats at 9-3. The over/under line is currently 46.5 points.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

The Georgia Southern Eagles and Sam Houston Bearkats did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, the Georgia Southern Eagles have a record of 2-1. However, against the spread, the Sam Houston Bearkats went 2-1. The over/under record in these matchups was 0-3 on an average of 43 points per game.

Georgia Southern Eagles Recent Form:

Georgia Southern enters their Week 1 matchup against Sam Houston with an 8-4 record. They are 4-2 on the road and 3-2 at home this season. The Eagles have been favored in four of their 12 games, going 2-2 as the favorite and 4-2 as the underdog. Their average scoring margin is +0.8 points per game.

Against the spread, Georgia Southern is 7-3-1, with a 4-2 record on the road and a 3-1-1 mark at home. They are 1-2-1 ATS as the favorite and 5-1 ATS as the underdog this season.

The over/under line for this week’s game is 46.5 points. Georgia Southern’s games have averaged 55.5 points, with an average over/under line of 58.3 points. Their over/under record is 4-7, with 11 games having higher lines than this week’s total.

Georgia Southern’s offense ranks 48th in points per game, averaging 28.2, and they are 62nd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 11. Their passing game is their strength, ranking 23rd in completions and averaging 239.9 yards per game. They are 20th in completion percentage and third-down conversion rate.

JC French leads the team with 2,619 passing yards and a 66% completion rate. He has thrown 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions, with a passer rating of 92. Jalen White has rushed for 655 yards and 13 touchdowns. Derwin Burgess Jr. has 603 receiving yards on 53 catches.

Georgia Southern’s defense has allowed an average of 27.3 points per game this season, including 20 points in their recent win over Appalachian State. Despite giving up 488 total yards, the Eagles forced two interceptions in the game.

Opponents have averaged 262.4 passing yards per game against Georgia Southern, completing 62.9% of their passes. The Eagles have also allowed 183.2 rushing yards per game, ranking 134th nationally.

Away Injury Report

No Injuries Reported

Sam Houston Bearkats Recent Form:

Sam Houston enters Week 1 against Georgia Southern with a 9-3 record. They’ve been strong at home, going 5-1, and are 3-2 on the road. The Bearkats have been favored in six games, posting a 5-1 record as the favorite.

Against the spread, Sam Houston is 6-5, with a 4-2 mark at home. They are 3-3 ATS as the favorite and 3-2 as the underdog, with an average scoring margin of +3.2 points per game.

Their over/under record stands at 3-8, with their games averaging 43.2 points. This week’s line is 46.5, lower than their average line of 50.4 points, and nine of their games have had higher totals than this week’s line.

Sam Houston’s offense has relied heavily on their ground game, ranking 10th in the nation in rushing attempts and averaging 192.4 rushing yards per game. Jay Ducker leads the team with 719 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Overall, the Bearkats are 75th in scoring, averaging 23.2 points per game, and we have them ranked 112th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 10. Quarterback Hunter Watson has thrown for 1,598 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 79.

Sam Houston’s defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 16th nationally by allowing just 20 points per game. In their recent win against Liberty, they gave up 18 points and forced two interceptions. The Bearkats held Liberty to 83 passing yards, though they allowed 179 rushing yards on 36 attempts.

Opponents have averaged 142.3 rushing yards per game and 174.1 passing yards against Sam Houston, which ranks 19th in the nation. Quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of just 73.7 and a 58.9% completion rate against the Bearkats’ defense.

Home Injury Report

No Injuries Reported

Betting Trends

• The Georgia Southern Eagles are 3-2 ATS in their last road games and 3-2 straight-up.
• Across the Sam Houston Bearkats last three home games, the team averaged 14 points per game while allowing 15. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 0-3 while going 2-1 straight-up.
• The Sam Houston Bearkats have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
• In their last five contests as the favorite, Georgia Southern has a poor record vs the spread going 2-2-1. But they still put together a straight-up mark of 3-2.

Free Pick

Georgia Southern comes into this R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl matchup favored by -5.5. However, I see Georgia Southern struggling vs Sam Houston’s defense. I think the over/under line is showing that this is going to be a low-scoring game, and I see this playing out in favor of Sam Houston. I’m going with the Bearkats at +5.5.

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