Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks Betting Pick & Prediction 8/29/24

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks are the -3.5 point favorites as they host the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in a week one non-conference matchup. Kick-off is set for 8:00 ET from Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville. The over/under line is currently at 56.5 points. This is the first game of the season for both teams. The game can be seen on CBSS.

COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS VS JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers +3.5

This game will be played at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium at 8:00 ET on Thursday, August 29th.

WHY BET THE COASTAL CAROLINA CHANTICLEERS:

  • We have the Jacksonville State Gamecocks winning this one by a score of 26 to 25
  • Even though we like the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to win, our ATS pick is to take the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at +3.5
  • We see this game finishing below the line of 56.5 points

Will The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

Coastal Carolina enters the season ranked 91st in our pre-season power rankings, with a 66.2% chance of being bowl-eligible. Last season, they finished with an 8-5 overall record, going 4-2 at home and 4-3 on the road. The Chanticleers were 4-1 when favored and 4-4 as the underdog.

Currently, we are giving them a 6.6% chance of winning the Sun Belt Conference. The futures odds have them at +1840 to win the conference, which is a 5% implied probability, ranking them 9th out of the 7 teams in the Sun Belt.

Coastal Carolina’s passing game was a strength last season, with the team ranking 34th in passing yards per game and 15th in yards per attempt. The Chanticleers averaged 261.6 passing yards per game and 156.5 rushing yards per game. Overall, they ranked 47th in the nation in scoring, putting up 27.7 points per game.

Ethan Vasko, who threw for 779 yards and seven touchdowns last season, is the top returning quarterback for Coastal Carolina. The team also added Noah Kim, a transfer from Michigan State, who threw for 1090 yards and six touchdowns last season. In the backfield, Braydon Bennett returns after rushing for 407 yards and five touchdowns last season, and the team added transfer Simeon Price from Mississippi State.

Coastal Carolina’s defense was better against the pass last season, allowing 211.8 passing yards per game (68th). However, they struggled to stop the run, giving up 168.1 rushing yards per game, which ranked 123rd in the nation. Overall, the Chanticleers finished 38th in the country, allowing 23.8 points per game. They also held opposing quarterbacks to a 52.5% completion percentage, which was the 13th lowest in college football last season.

Are The Jacksonville State Gamecocks Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

Jacksonville State enters the season with the 93rd best power ranking after finishing last season with a 9-4 record. The Gamecocks were 7-0 when favored and 2-4 as the underdog. They were strong at home, going 5-1, and finished 4-3 on the road.

Currently, Jacksonville State has a 73.7% chance of being bowl-eligible this season. In the futures market, they have the 3rd best odds to make it to the Conference USA final (+110), with an implied probability of 48%. Their odds to win the Conference USA title are +595, giving them a 14% chance of making it to the Conference USA Championship game.

Quarterback Logan Smothers, who threw for 735 yards and six touchdowns last season, is the top returning quarterback for Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks also added Tyler Huff from Furman to their quarterback room. Last season, Jacksonville State’s offense was run-heavy, ranking 3rd in both rushing yards per game (239.1) and rushing attempts per game (49.4). Overall, they averaged 30.2 points per game, placing them 38th in the country.

Heading into this season, Ron Wiggins is the top returning running back for the Gamecocks, having rushed for 468 yards and six touchdowns last year. The passing game, however, was less productive, averaging just 171 yards per game, which was 105th nationally. Jacksonville State also struggled on third down, converting just 37.7% of their chances (77th).

Last season, Jacksonville State’s defense allowed just 112.4 rushing yards per game, ranking 25th in the nation. Overall, they were 26th in the country in points allowed, giving up 21.2 per game. However, their pass defense struggled, allowing 241.1 passing yards per game, which was 127th in the nation. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 76.7 (23rd) and completed 58.1% of their passes against the Gamecocks.