Georgia Southern Eagles quarterback JC French IV (12) throws a pass during the first half against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, California.

The South Alabama Jaguars (1-6, 0-3 Sun Belt) and Georgia State Panthers (1-6, 0-3) tangle in a Thursday tilt in Atlanta, Georgia. The contest at Center Parc Stadium will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NCAA football odds around the South Alabama vs. Georgia State odds and make our expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.

South Alabama last played on Oct. 14 when the favored-by-9 Jaguars lost at home against Arkansas State. The Red Wolves scored the final 12 points of the game, including a game-winning field goal as time expired, to defeat USA 15-14 (Under 57.5). The late-game failure of the South Alabama offense was nothing new. The Jaguars have lost 6 straight contests, and along the way they have averaged just 21.0 points and 365.7 yards per game.

Georgia State lost 41-24 (Over 59) at -6.5 Georgia Southern Saturday. With that setback, GSU continued its own skid: the Panthers have lost 4 in a row. Georgia State has allowed 40-plus points in back-to-back games and in 6 of its last 9 games since last November. The 2025 Panthers rank 136th and last in scoring defense (41.1 PPG).

USA and GSU have met 9 times. The most recent meeting in 2020 was won by the Panthers 31-14, and GSU has won each of the last 3 meetings.

– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Poll, conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports

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South Alabama at Georgia State odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 9:07 p.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): South Alabama -225 (bet $225 to win $100) | Georgia State +185 (bet $100 to win $185)
  • Against the spread (ATS): South Alabama -6.5 (-110) | Georgia State +6.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 55.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

South Alabama at Georgia State picks and predictions

Prediction

South Alabama 28, Georgia State 24

Moneyline

No interest; PASS.

Against the spread

Georgia State has won 6 straight series meetings ATS.

South Alabama has played a lesser slate so far, and the Jaguars are similar to 2 foes the Panthers recently found much success on through the air. Against the Appalachian State Mountaineers and Georgia Southern Eagles, GSU threw the ball a combined 99 times for 583 yards. GSU lost those games, but against more capable defensive teams than what it will see Thursday at home.

From both a success-rate and an explosive-play standpoint, the Panthers figure to have significant leverage in the passing game. Expect GSU to stay on schedule, create gettable third downs and produce more than a couple of value drives. Those kinds of drives have been in short supply for Georgia State this season.

South Alabama likes to run the ball. Look for Georgia Southern to do enough in at least containing that facet of the Jaguars offense to turn this game into a 1-score back-and-forth.

This is a down-the-power-rankings matchup where exhibiting some merely below-average levels of production will go a long way. And with the Panthers being at home, GEORGIA STATE +6.5 (-110) has some value.

Over/Under

The Under has cashed in 5 straight USA-GSU games. The Under has also hit in 9 of the Jaguars' last 10 games on the road and in 7 consecutive Panthers' home games.

Don't expect a lot of turnover churn. And neither side has scored more than 24 points in a game since early September. The UNDER 55.5 (-110) is the leverage side.

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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: South Alabama Jaguars at Georgia State Panthers odds, picks and predictions

Reporting by Skip Snow, Sportsbook Wire / Sportsbook Wire

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