by Rod Pearson
Monday, Dec 22, 2025
Game Time: 2:00 pm ET, Monday, December 29, 2025
Venue: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: GA Southern -7, App State +7; Over/Under: 59.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: GA Southern -7, App State +7; Over/Under: 59.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: GA Southern -7.5, App State +7.5; Over/Under: 59.5 points
Season Record
Georgia Southern Eagles: 6-6 (4-4) (4th place, Sun Belt East)
Appalachian State Mountaineers: 5-7 (2-6) (6th place, Sun Belt East)
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Recent Form
Georgia Southern Eagles: won their last game on the road against the Marshall Thundering Herd 24-19.
Appalachian State Mountaineers: lost their last game at home against the Arkansas State Red Wolves 30-29.
Georgia Southern Eagles vs Appalachian State Mountaineers Preview and Analysis
Georgia Southern is entering this game with a 6-6 record overall and they have a 4-4 record in their conference games too. They are 4-2 in their home games, 2-4 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, and they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Marshall 24-19. JC French was the starting QB and he completed 24/37 passes for 313 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Taeo Todd led the team in rushing yards with 60. Camden Brown led the receivers with 157 receiving yards on 9 receptions and 2 TDs. Justin Meyers led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Ayden Jackson came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Appalachian State is entering this game with a 5-7 record overall and they have a 2-6 record in their conference games too. They are 3-3 in their home games, 1-4 in their road games, and they are also 1-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They lost their last game against Arkansas State 30-29. JJ Kohl was the starting QB and he completed 26/39 passes for 271 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jaquari Lewis led the team in rushing yards with 108. David Larkins led the receivers with 72 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Kevin Abrams-Verwayne led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Kevin Abrams-Verwayne led the defense in sacks with 2.5. Colton Phares came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Georgia Southern vs Appalachian State Prediction
The current betting odds have Appalachian State listed as a 7 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Appalachian State hasn't looked good in their games this season with their 5-7 record overall and their 2-6 conference record which had them in the bottom half of their division in the SBC. They are 1-0 in their neutral site games this year though. Meanwhile, Georgia Southern hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 6-6 record overall and their 4-4 conference record which had them right in the middle of their division in the SBC. They haven't played in any neutral site games this season so this will be their first, playing in the Birmingham Bowl. Georgia Southern looked good at the end of the regular season, finishing with 3 wins in their last 4 games and coming off a 24-19 win over Marshall in their season finale to earn this spot in a bowl game. As good as they have looked lately, they still haven't been blowing out many teams in their wins this year, and their defense hasn't looked great either with the number of points they have been giving up. Their opponent didn't earn the right to play in this game though, but they have been given a 2nd life due to teams opting out of bowl games. App State was only 5-7 this year, but they got lucky with all of the opt-outs and now they have a chance to end the season right. They didn't look good to end the season and even had a chance to become bowl eligible in their final game, but they lost at home to Arkansas State 30-29. As bad as they were down the final stretch, they still weren't getting blown out in a lot of their losses and actually played in some really close games. They also played against Georgia Southern just a few weeks ago and only lost that game by 2 points, 25-23, so look for App State to keep this game close again in what is basically an extra conference game. The best way to place a bet here is on Appalachian State to cover the spread in this game.
Georgia Southern Appalachian State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Monday, December 29, 2025 (2:00 pm ET start time) is GA Southern 27 App State 24.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Georgia Southern Eagles: 15-7 ATS when the total is between 56.5 and 63. 4-1 ATS vs. bad defensive teams who give up 31 or more points/game. 6-3 ATS versus poor defensive teams - allowing 5.9 yards/play or more. 4-1 UNDER vs. good passing teams averaging 250 or more passing yards/game. 7-4 UNDER off a win against a conference rival.
Appalachian State Mountaineers: 1-6 ATS after a bye week. 1-4 ATS after a loss by 6 or less points. 4-7 ATS off a loss against a conference rival. 14-3 UNDER when the total is between 56.5 and 63. 7-3 UNDER revenging a loss against an opponent.
Key Injuries
Georgia Southern Eagles: E. Walton (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Davis (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Hammonds (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. Johnson (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Holmes (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Gamble (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Palmer (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Lowe (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Whitehead (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Jordan (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. L. Bullard (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Downs (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. McGinney (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Williams (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Samuel (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Mbadinga (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Dempsey (K) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Heath (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Helms (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Ware (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Dallas (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. O. Arnold (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Gibbs (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Appalachian State Mountaineers: K. White (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Swann (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Roberts (RB) Out - Knee. T. Ramsey (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Poindexter (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. McBurrows (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Hasz (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Gibble (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Gee (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Durrette (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. I. Cummings (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Coleman (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Calhoun (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Berry (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Berchal (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Barnes (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to play in the JLab Birmingham Bowl on December 29th. This will be an exciting matchup against App State and should make for a great college football game. Playing in the postseason is special for our players and staff, and this opportunity is something we don't take for granted. It gives us the chance to be on a national stage at a great bowl venue, and we can't wait to get started with our preparation. We thank the city of Birmingham and the Birmingham Bowl for this invitation." - Clay Helton on his team playing in the Birmingham Bowl.
"It's an honor in college football to be able to play in a bowl game, and we're excited for the opportunity to do that on national TV in the JLab Birmingham Bowl. Our seniors will get to play another game, and our team will benefit from the extra practices. The foundation of our program is competition – this is another great opportunity to compete!" - Dowel Loggains on his team playing in the Birmingham Bowl.
Starting Lineups
Georgia Southern Eagles
WR Sanders Jr., Marcus
WR Brown, Camden
WR Bradshaw, Taylor
WR Cobb, Dalen
TE Green, Ahmon
QB French IV, JC
RB Arnold, OJ
Appalachian State Mountaineers
WR Mbake, Sam
WR Dozier, Davion
WR Barnes, Jaden
TE Larkins, David
QB Swann, AJ
RB Dubinion, Rashod
Statistical Leaders
Georgia Southern Eagles
Passing: JC French IV (2,758)
Rushing: OJ Arnold (880)
Receiving: Camden Brown (1,049)
Touchdowns: Camden Brown (14)
Appalachian State Mountaineers
Passing: AJ Swann (1,495)
Rushing: Rashod Dubinion (868)
Receiving: Jaden Barnes (608)
Touchdowns: Jaden Barnes (7)
Coaches:
Georgia Southern Eagles: Clay Helton (4th season)
Appalachian State Mountaineers: Dowell Loggains (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
