It is officially BOWL SZN ladies and gentleman and we start down in Conway, South Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The matchup between the 6-6 Georgia Southern Eagles and the 9-3 Ohio Bobcats will be an intriguing one. Georgia Southern comes in losing four straight after starting the season 6-2. Ohio comes in on a three game winning streak. The Eagles have a 3-2 record in 5 bowl games including last year’s loss in the Camellia Bowl. Ohio has a 6-8 record in 14 bowl games, but they have been 6-6 since 2006 and have won their last four bowl games. Georgia Southern is a 3.5 point favorite with the over/under set at 48.5. Here is my prediction for the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Georgia Southern Eagles
The Georgia Southern Eagles’ offense was a problem for opposing defenses in the Sun Belt this season. They average 30.9 points per game and are a top 20 team in the country in passing yards per game. Their leader of offense is quarterback Davis Brin. Brin has thrown for 3,341 passing yards to go along with 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. In games where Brin has thrown multiple interceptions this season, the Eagles are 1-3. For Brin and this offense to be successful, they need to get the running game going. Jalen White, who is their leading rusher, is questionable for this bowl matchup due to an injury. Without White, the Eagles offense is not the same. White isn’t the driving force but his ability to take the pressure off of Davis Brin is the key to this offenses’ success.
Defensively, the Eagles have struggled mightily this season. They allow 29.6 points per game and they are ranked 208th in the country in passing yards allowed per game. Georgia Southern has given up 30+ points in six games this season. In those six games they have a 1-5 record. If the Eagles want to win the first bowl game of the season, they are going to need the defensive side of the football to have a good game. Defensively, the Eagles are led by talented linebacker Marques Watson-Trent who has 117 total tackles on the season and 3.5 sacks to go with it. Watson-Trent is a top 20 tackler in the country as he ranks 17th. If he plays well, this team is going to get the spark defensively that they need to win this game.
Ohio Bobcats
The Bobcats offense has had a lot of people coming and going due to injury. However, they score 22.9 points per game and convert on 43.8% of their third down attempts. Kurtis Rourke, who was the starter for 11 games this season, has entered the transfer portal and won’t be playing in this game. Backup quarterback CJ Harris is out for the season which means they will start third string quarterback Parker Navarro in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Bobcats would then rely on their running game but their top two rushers Sieh Bangura and O’Shaan Allison have entered the transfer portal and will not play. There are a lot of question marks for this Ohio offense which is why they are a 3.5 point underdog in this one.
Defensively, the Bobcats have been unbelievable all season long. They allow under 100 rushing yards per game and rank 12th in the nation in total yards allowed per game (277.8). Ohio allows 15.4 points per game and allows opponents to convert on only 29.5% of their third down attempts. Defensively, the Bobcats are led by linebacker Bryce Houston (120 total tackles) who will be the key to the Bobcats defense. If Ohio wants to win this bowl game, they will have to rely heavily on their defense to create turnovers.
Betting Trends
-The under is 12-4 in Ohio’s last 16 games overall.
-Ohio is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
-Georgia Southern is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
-The over is 4-2 in Georgia Southern’s last 6 games overall.
The Don’s Best Bet
The Bobcats are going to be without their starting quarterback, running back, wide receiver, backup running back, and their second leading tackler in this one. I know Georgia Southern’s quarterback has been good this season and their defense hasn’t been great. However, I think that points are going to be scarce in this one. I am taking under 48.5 -110 for one unit. The lean for me would be Ohio getting the 3.5 points, but I just can’t trust the Bobcats using their third string quarterback who is their leading passer and rusher coming into this one.
