The JLab Birmingham Bowl showcases a rare in-conference matchup, with Sun Belt rivals Georgia Southern and Appalachian State facing off for the second time this season. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET, and the game can be seen on ESPN.
In their November 6 clash, the Eagles went into halftime with a 19-3 lead. The Mountaineers came alive in the second half, nearly staging a comeback, but fell short by a score of 25-23.
Below, we'll break down a Georgia Southern vs. App State prediction and pick for the JLab Birmingham Bowl. Use PrizePicks CFB to make picks on player projections for this game and several others.
Georgia Southern vs. App State Prediction, Over/Under, Spread
The Eagles and Mountaineers meet for the 28th time, with Georgia Southern holding a slim 14-13 record in the series.
Georgia Southern comes into the game as 9.5-point favorites, returning a 1.92x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they cover.
Appalachian State is the underdog, with a 1.81x payout if they cover.
- Spread: Georgia Southern Eagles -9.5
- Over/Under: 59.5 (1.88x on the over)
- Game Winner Payout: Georgia Southern 1.29x | Appalachian State 3.22x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Georgia Southern Eagles Preview vs. App State
When you see the 25-23 final score of the previous matchup, you'd likely think it was a tight game, but a closer look tells us that wasn’t necessarily the case.
Georgia Southern held a two-score lead for the majority of the contest, little surprise considering they led in total yardage (494-425), while keeping the ball for 32:20.
They could lean on RB OJ Arnold, who finished fifth in the Sun Belt with 880 rushing yards,as well as QB JC French IV, who threw for a career-high 352 yards in his early-season game against App State.
App State Mountaineers Preview vs. Georgia Southern
QBs Noah Gillon and QB Billy Wiles have combined for 13 completions on 32 attempts, for 162 passing yards and 1 passing TD. They could highlight the run with RBs Rashod Dubinion and Jaquari Lewis, who each average at least 4.5 yards per carry.
GASO's defense struggled to contain the run, ranking 124th in defensive EPA per rush (0.088).
Georgia Southern vs. App State Prediction on Spread
The opt-outs for App State extend to the defense, including multiple starters in the secondary. That’s great for French, who is likely confident from his previous performance against the Mountaineers.
If App State falls behind, even with a struggling GA Southern run defense, it lacks an experienced quarterback to carry the offense.
Make Georgia Southern vs. App State Picks on PrizePicks
In this outlying in-conference postseason clash, both Sun Belters look to cap the season in a positive manner, while setting themselves up for 2026.
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