The latest edition of the Modern Day Hate rivalry comes to Thursday night football as the 5-2 Georgia Southern Eagles (don’t) welcome the 6-1 Georgia State Panthers to Statesboro for a Sun Belt showdown with conference consequences on the line.
Who emerges victorious in this short-lived but bitter rivalry? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State prediction.
Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Georgia Southern -1.5 - Moneyline
Georgia Southern -122, Georgia State +102 - Over/Under
64 points - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
Allen E. Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, GA - Predicted Weather at Kick
62 degrees, 4-6 mph winds, mostly clear - How to Watch
ESPN2, FuboTV
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Looking to make some money on Modern Day Hate? Will it be pennies on the Panthers or easy money on the Eagles? If you’re going to take advantage of the Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Despite being two places back in the Sun Belt, Georgia Southern comes into the game as the favorite for the fifth time this season. The Eagles are 5-0 when the moneyline favorite, which bodes well if you believe that the past dictates the future.
Counteracting that is the fact Georgia State is 2-0 as an underdog this season, comfortably beating Marshall and Coastal.
Furthermore, in the short history of this rivalry game, the Panthers are on a three-game winning streak and are 3-1 in Statesboro. This has the potential to be an extremely close game, with both teams having weaknesses to exploit and the possibility of coming away with the win. Our Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State prediction explains why we favor the Panthers.
In other Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State odds, it’s such a small spread that if you believe in our prediction, then you should take the Panthers to cover. They’re 2-0 covering as a spread underdog, while the Eagles haven’t covered in their last two games. Both their head-to-head record and 2023 season form suggest taking the under in this exciting rivalry game.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Georgia Southern Depth Chart | Georgia State Depth Chart
- QB Darren Grainger, Georgia State ($11,000)
- QB Davis Brin, Georgia Southern ($9,700)
- RB Marcus Carroll, Georgia State ($10,000)
- RB Jalen White, Georgia Southern ($8,800)
- RB OJ Arnold, Georgia Southern ($6,600)
- RB Tyler Jordan, Georgia Southern ($4,600)
- RB KZ Adams, Georgia State ($4,500)
- RB David Mbadinga, Georgia Southern ($4,400)
- RB Terrance Gibbs, Georgia Southern ($4,200)
- RB Freddie Brock, Georgia State ($4,100)
- WR Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern ($8,900)
- WR Derwin Burgess Jr., Georgia Southern ($8,300)
- WR Robert Lewis, Georgia State ($8,200)
- WR Tailique Williams, Georgia State ($7,800)
- WR Anthony Queeley, Georgia Southern ($6,400)
- WR Dalen Cobb, Georgia Southern ($5,500)
- WR Jacari Carter, Georgia State ($5,200)
- TE Ahmon Green, Georgia State ($5,900)
- TE Jjay Mcafee, Georgia Southern ($5,500)
- TE Keaton Upshaw, Georgia Southern ($5,400)
- TE Avion McBride, Georgia State ($4,200)
There are two college football games on Thursday to compile your DFS team from in Week 9. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
With the Georgia Southern high-volume passing game, it’s tempting to squander your DFS budget on Eagles quarterback Davis Brin. However, high volume lends itself to high-turnover potential — more on that later — and Brin’s 11 interceptions really tend to his fantasy efficiency. Georgia State’s Darren Grainger leads all Sun Belt quarterbacks with 168.08 fantasy points.
Georgia State lays claim to the top two scoring fantasy assets in the Sun Belt, and if you can manipulate your budget to include running back Marcus Carroll in your lineup, you should do so. He has just one game without a touchdown this year, has tallied five 100+ rushing yard games, and there is only one game where he hasn’t had 20 carries or more. He’s a virtual lock for 10+ points.
Georgia Southern has allowed the second-fewest passing touchdowns in the Sun Belt this fall, which should cause some pause when it comes to selecting a Panthers WR to your lineup. Your Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State picks should include one of Khaleb Hood or Derwin Burgess Jr. Hood commands the most targets and is due a score after two barren games.
Prediction for Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Can Georgia State sustain its campaign at the top of the Sun Belt for another week with a rivalry win? Or is Georgia Southern all set to play spoiler and make the conference even more exciting at the summit?
It might be called Modern Day Hate, but this is a Thursday evening matchup to love. There’s a clash of styles, with Clay Helton’s team throwing the ball over the park with their high-volume passing attack, whereas Shawn Elliott’s Panthers love to pound it out on the ground. Styles win fights, so who lands the knockout blow in this Sun Belt rivalry clash?
Between quarterback Brin, a plethora of top-quality wide receivers led by fifth-year pass-catcher Hood, and their third-in-the-nation high-volume passing attack, the Eagles have the potential to soar past a Georgia State defense that has been susceptible to an aerial assault. The Panthers rank in the bottom half of the Sun Belt in multiple pass game metrics.
Georgia Southern has held opposition quarterbacks under 60% completion and secured more interceptions than passing touchdowns. That might limit Panthers’ QB Grainger in the passing game, but danger lurks around the corner. In their loss to Wisconsin, the Eagles gave up two rushing touchdowns to Tanner Mordecai, and Grainger can convert on the ground.
Meanwhile, in both of their defeats this year, Georgia Southern has been burned by end zone-seeking running backs with receiving capability. If you look that definition up in a fictional 2023 college football dictionary, you’ll find an image of Panthers rusher Carroll. The 5’10”, 210-pound senior puts the “impact” into impact maker.
This Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State game has the potential to be action-packed, exciting, and even closer than the 200-mile gap between Atlanta and Statesboro. In a tight game, limiting turnovers and winning that battle could make a difference.
Georgia State has the upper hand here, with Grainger throwing just two INTs to Brin’s 11 in 2023. Advantage Panthers.
Prediction: Georgia State 30, Georgia Southern 27