College football bowl season kicks off Saturday, with the 6-6 Georgia Southern Eagles of the Sun Belt taking on the 9-3 Ohio Bobcats in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
It’s the first-ever meeting between the two sides, so who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Myrtle Beach Bowl prediction.
Myrtle Beach Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Myrtle Beach Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Georgia Southern -3.5 - Moneyline
Georgia Southern -175, Ohio +145 - Over/Under
48.5 points - Game time
11 a.m. ET - Location
Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC - Predicted Weather at Kick
49 degrees, 7 mph winds, intermittent clouds - How to Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Looking to make a buck or two on the Bobcats? Are the Eagles an easy money maker on Saturday? If you’re going to take advantage of the Myrtle Beach Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
With a 9-3 record in the MAC this season and one of the most ferocious defenses in the country, it’s easy to look at the Myrtle Beach odds and wonder why Ohio isn’t favored to beat Georgia Southern on Saturday. Ordinarily, I’d be back backing the Bobcats every step of the way, but as is becoming customary in bowl season, there are several factors at play influencing the odds.
Other Bowl Game Predictions: New Orleans | Cure | New Mexico | LA | Independence
Several of Ohio’s top players will be absent from the game, whether by opt-out or due to their inclusion in the transfer portal. This should swing the game in favor of Clay Helton’s Eagles team, who currently just have four players included on our College Football Opt-Out Tracker, none of which are amongst their most productive players from the 2023 college campaign.
While Georgia Southern should seal the deal with a win, backing them to cover the spread is a less straightforward affair. They haven’t covered in the last four, with Ohio going 2-1 covering as an underdog this year. The Eagles have covered five of their six wins this year. Georgia Southern to win, cover, with the score coming under the line, are the bets to make here.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Georgia Southern Depth Chart | Ohio Depth Chart
- QB Davis Brin, Georgia Southern
- QB Parker Navarro, Ohio
- RB Jalen White, Georgia Southern
- RB OJ Arnold, Georgia Southern
- RB David Mbadinga, Georgia Southern
- RB Nolan McCormick, Ohio
- RB Rickey Hunt, Ohio
- WR Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern
- WR Dalen Cobb, Georgia Southern
- WR Derwin Burgess Jr., Georgia Southern
- WR Sam Wiglusz, Ohio
- WR Rodney Harris, Ohio
- WR Chase Hendricks, Ohio
- TE Jjay Mcafee, Georgia Southern
- TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio
There are six college football games on Saturday to compile your DFS team from. 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 a tight end.
Starting your Myrtle Beach Bowl picks with the Bobcats, their most potent DFS and fantasy assets won’t be on display this Saturday. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke (168.88 points), running back Sieh Bangura (142.8 points), and wide receiver Miles Cross (90.18 points) are all in the transfer portal.
MORE: Top Georgia Southern, Ohio Players Not Playing in Myrtle Beach Bowl
Ohio will turn to Park Navarro at quarterback who, despite his four-year and two-team career, is something of an unknown quantity. He offers more of a ground threat than Rourke and he does have a legitimate WR weapon in Sam Wiglusz as an outlet, but you’re not likely to be gambling your DFS success on a quarterback with just 24 career pass attempts in four seasons.
Rescuing your Myrtle Beach Bowl picks from total irrelevance, Georgia Southern do have some viable options. Jalen White is just 109 yards from a 1,000-yard campaign and leads the team with nine touchdowns.
With some key parts of the Ohio defense missing, he should add to the 155.6 points he’s accrued in 2023. WR Khaleb Hood is another potential steal to be aware of.
Prediction for the Myrtle Beach Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Myrtle Beach Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
Will Georgia Southern fly high in their season finale or have the Bobcats got one last bite in them?
While Ohio has had some offensive struggles this season, their defense has been one of the most ferocious in the nation. Tim Albin’s team finished the regular season ranked fifth overall for scoring defense, allowing just 15.4 points per game. Meanwhile, the Bobcats ranked in the top 10 nationally for rushing touchdowns, rushing yards and passing yards allowed.
While it is presumed that leading tackler and defensive lynchpin Bryce Houston will play on Saturday, the loss of linebacker Keye Thompson can’t be overlooked when considering the outcome of this game. Without their starting quarterback, two leading running backs, and most productive receiver, the defense could be on the field far more than they’d like against the Eagles.
While the Georgia Southern defense hasn’t been as strong as the Bobcats this season, Marques Watson-Trent is a force in all phases. The offense has been a little bit more balanced this fall than in 2023, with running back duo White and OJ Arnold providing a powerful complementary piece to a high-volume passing behind Davis Brin.
With that offensive firepower and a roster far closer to full strength than the one Ohio will bring to the Myrtle Beach Bowl, the Eagles should prove too strong for the Bobcats, sealing a first bowl win since the 2020 New Orleans Bowl.
Prediction: Georgia Southern 24, Ohio 19