Both schools are relatively new to the FBS but these Sun Belt squads will be meeting for the sixth consecutive season when the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers travel to Atlanta to face the Georgia State Panthers on Thursday night.
It will be a battle of undefeated against winless, as Coastal Carolina is 3-0 and Georgia State is 0-3. Both teams have had a weak strength of schedule thus far, but Georgia State has faced two Power 5 conference teams. Will Georgia State be able to start the Sun Belt conference schedule with a win?
Find out in our free college football betting picks and predictions for Coastal Carolina vs. Georgia State on Thursday, September 22.
Coastal Carolina vs Georgia State best odds
Coastal Carolina vs Georgia State picks and predictions
It was just two years ago that Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall jumped into the national scene as a top quarterback prospect and now the two-time defending Sun Belt Player of the Year will kick off his third conference season in a place he dominated two years ago.
The Chanticleers beat the Panthers 51-0 in Atlanta in 2020 with McCall throwing for 254 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 15 yards and a score on the ground. McCall missed last year’s game in which Georgia State won 42-40.
McCall has started this season just as well as his previous two seasons, as he currently has 10 total touchdowns against only one turnover. The offensive line has also been solid outside of the game against Gardner Webb, where they allowed four sacks. Despite losing their two best rushers and three best receivers from a season ago, Coastal Carolina still ranks 26th in total offense in the country through Week 3.
One big reason for this is the new transfer at wideout from none other than Georgia State, Sam Pinckney. He is currently the leading receiver on the team with 15 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown. Also, despite having fumbling problems, the two leading rushers Reese White and CJ Beasley are averaging a combined 6.3 yards per carry.
Georgia State’s defense is returning 10 of the 11 starters from the previous season. However, that defense ranked 76th in points per game allowed last season and has started this year ranked 117th through three games at 37.3 points per contest. They rank 87th in total defense and 113th in pass defense. This spells trouble for the Panthers with Grayson McCall coming to town.
The good news is that the Panthers have used a balanced defensive attack to get after the quarterback with seven combined sacks through three games. They also have a returning starting QB in Darren Grainger, who is a true dual threat with 172 rushing yards so far this year. However, he only has a 51.7% completion percentage despite only throwing one interception.
Georgia State is going to need to put up points to stay competitive in this game, as McCall is likely going to lead Coastal Carolina to a big offensive night. The Panthers will likely get some success on offense, but Grainger’s inconsistency in the passing game will not be able to match the star power of McCall.
The road team has won every matchup between these two teams in FBS play and I expect that to continue this Thursday night.
My best bet: Coastal Carolina -2.5 (-107 at PointsBet)
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Coastal Carolina vs Georgia State betting preview
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•Spread analysis •Over/Under analysis •Trend to know •Game info •Injuries •Weather
Spread analysis
I mentioned that Georgia State will be able to find some success in the passing game against Coastal Carolina, who allowed 448 passing yards to FCS opponent, Gardner Webb. However, Coastal Carolina is returning some important players on defense who have made significant impacts.
Defensive lineman Josaiah Stewart had a team-leading 13 sacks last year and already has 1.5 sacks through three games this year. Defensive back Lance Boykin led the team with three interceptions last season and already has two to start the year. The Chanticleers have already recorded 10 sacks and 10 takeaways this season.
Coastal Carolina can also take advantage of Georgia State's suspect special teams play. The Panthers have already had two punts blocked that were returned for touchdowns in addition to a missed field goal and a missed extra point.
Those plays have proven costly for the Panthers as the two blocked punt TDs came in a seven-point loss and the missed extra point came in a one-point loss. Coastal Carolina has a kick return for a touchdown this season from its freshman cornerback Matthew McDoom.
Coastal Carolina should be able to force enough mistakes by Georgia State to win this game, even if they put on a mediocre performance themselves. We may not see another 51-0 blowout like in 2020, but I would take this spread all the way up to the 10-14 range.
Over/Under analysis
A part of me loves the Over in this game because Coastal Carolina should have no problems moving the ball through the air and Georgia State will be able to move the ball themselves. However, turnovers can be a killer for Over bettors and both teams struggle with this.
If Coastal Carolina goes up big early, that could also kill the Over, because Georgia State is much stronger in the run game than in the passing game, as they rank 15th in the country in rushing offense. The Under is 2-1 in the first three games of the season for Georgia State.
The Under is 5-0 in the last five road games for Coastal Carolina, 5-1 in the last six conference games for Georgia State, and 3-2 in their five previous matchups with each other. My head says to take the Under but I'd suggest staying away altogether.
Coastal Carolina vs Georgia State betting trend to know
The road team is 5-0 against the spread in the five-year history of this matchup. Find more NCAA betting trends for Coastal Carolina vs. Georgia State.
Coastal Carolina vs Georgia State game info
• Location: Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta, GA
• Date: Thursday, September 22, 2022
• Kick-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPNU
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