Boise State Broncos vs Georgia Southern Eagles Betting Pick & Prediction 8/31/24

Boise State is favored by -12.5 points as they head into this week one non-conference matchup on the road against the Georgia Southern Eagles. Kick-off is set for 4:00 ET from Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro. This will be the first game of the season for both teams, and the over/under line is currently at 57.5 points. ESNU will be handling the broadcast for this one.

BOISE STATE BRONCOS VS GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Georgia Southern Eagles +12.5

This game will be played at Allen E. Paulson Stadium at 4:00 ET on Saturday, August 31st.

WHY BET THE GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES:

• We have the Boise State Broncos winning this one by a score of 32 to 31
• Even though we like the Boise State Broncos to win, our ATS pick is to take the Georgia Southern Eagles at +12.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 57.5 points

Will The Boise State Broncos Win As Road Favorites?

Boise State enters the season with the 48th best power ranking in college football, and we are giving them an 87.8% chance of being bowl-eligible. Our projections also give them a 36.2% chance of winning the Mountain West, which is the 21st best odds in the country. The futures market has them as the slight favorite to win the Mountain West at -122 and a 68% chance of making it to the Mountain West Conference title game.

Last season, Boise State finished with an 8-6 overall record, going 5-2 at home and 3-4 on the road. They were 2-3 as underdogs and 6-3 as favorites. The Broncos are looking to bounce back after a bit of a down season by their standards.

Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 1351 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, returns as the key piece of Boise State’s rushing attack, which was 4th in the nation at 217 yards per game. The Broncos were also 20th in scoring, putting up 32.1 points per game. Jeanty is currently the 3rd favorite to win the Doak Walker Trophy (+750) heading into the season.

At the quarterback position, Maddux Madsen returns after throwing for 1191 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Boise State also brought in Malachi Nelson, who transferred from USC. The Broncos were efficient on third downs last season, converting at a rate of 45.9%, which was 16th in the country.

Boise State’s pass defense was a weakness last season, as they allowed 250.4 passing yards per game, ranking 143rd in the nation. Overall, the Broncos’ defense allowed 25.6 points per game, placing them 64th in the country. On the ground, they ranked 56th, giving up 135.1 rushing yards per game. Opposing offenses averaged 32 rushing attempts per game against Boise State.

Are The Georgia Southern Eagles Going Win In At Upset At Allen E. Paulson Stadium

Georgia Southern is coming off a season in which they went 1-6 on the road but were much better at home, finishing 5-1. Overall, the Eagles ended with a 6-7 record. Last season, they were favored in seven of their 13 games, going 2-5 as the favorite and 3-1 as the underdog. They enter this season ranked 96th in our pre-season power rankings.

Currently, we are giving Georgia Southern a 46% chance of being bowl-eligible this season. Our projections also give them a 5% chance of winning the Sun Belt Conference. The futures odds have them at +2380 to win the conference, which is the 10th best out of the 7 teams in the Sun Belt.

Georgia Southern’s offense was 38th in the country in scoring last season, putting up 30.2 points per game. They were also 19th in third down conversion percentage (45.4%), but their passing game was a big focus, as they were 2nd in passing attempts per game and 11th in passing yards per game (302.2). Their rushing attack was 96th in the country, averaging 117.7 yards per game.

Jalen White, who rushed for 889 yards and nine touchdowns last season, is the top returning running back for the Eagles. At quarterback, JC French is back after throwing for 122 yards last season. Derwin Burgess Jr., who had 813 receiving yards and six touchdowns, is their top returning wide receiver, and they have added transfer LV Bunkley-Shelton to the receiving corps.

Georgia Southern’s defense struggled last season, allowing 30.5 points per game. They had a tough time stopping the run, giving up 162.9 rushing yards per game, which ranked 110th in the nation. Their pass defense was also a weakness, ranking 112th in passing yards allowed per game. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 138.3 against them, and they allowed a completion percentage of 61.2%.