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A pair of mid-major teams will spend Christmas in Montgomery, Alabama as the Ball State Cardinals take on the Georgia State Panthers in the Camellia Bowl on Saturday. It’s the only college football game on the board, and will be broadcast on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. ET.
So where are sports bettors going as we get closer to game time? Let’s take a look. All odds and info were provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Point Spread
Georgia State is a 5.5-point favorite. 66% of the handle and 73% of the bets are on Georgia State.
Is the public right?
GSU is certainly the hotter team entering the game, having turned their season around with a 42-40 win over Coastal Carolina to start a streak to end the season. Ball State lost two of their last three, needing a win over Buffalo in the last game of the season to even become bowl eligible.
SP+ has this an 8.5-point win for the Panthers, and we think that’s the right side.
Over/Under
Total points is 51. 76% of the handle and 74% of the bets are on the over.
Is the public right?
Overs are 9-5 this bowl season, as more teams are throwing caution to the wind offensively than ever in these borderline-exhibition games. Let’s expect that trend to continue, particularly with BSU having a defense ranked deep into triple digits.
Moneyline
Georgia State is -220 to win while Ball State is +180. 78% of the handle and 60% of the bets are on Georgia State.
Is the public right?
GSU should win this game, but the variance factor in bowls can be a bit strange. Betting Georgia State to cover and Ball State to win outright isn’t the most insane strategy for that reason, as the outcomes can get a bit biased. But these numbers look about right, and we’ll stay away here.
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