Expectations are building as the countdown to the college football season is on. The Sun Belt Conference carries a level of intrigue with plenty of teams building off some recent success. James Madison and South Alabama have each won 24+ games over the past three seasons; Louisiana has four 10-win seasons over the past six years; Troy and Appalachian State each have five 10-win seasons in their past 10 years; while Coastal Carolina, Texas State, Georgia Southern, Arkansas State and Marshall have each shown some solid flashes in recent seasons.
Let’s dive into the outlook for the conference ahead of the 2025 college football season and which bets on DraftKings Sportsbook make the most sense as the season prepares to kick off.
Sun Belt College Football Betting Preview
James Madison (+270 to win the Sun Belt)
Entering as the favorites to win the conference at +270 odds, James Madison joined the Sun Belt Conference ahead of the 2022 season and is 28-9 as a program since then. Bob Chesney is in his second year as head coach. They started last season with five straight wins and went 9-4 overall but failed to make the Sun Belt title game in their first eligible season.
Quarterback Alonza Barnett III is the biggest cause of concern as he is still recovering from a serious leg injury suffered in the last regular-season game of 2024. Barnett III threw for 2,598 passing yards last season while adding 442 yards on the ground, and he tallied 26 touchdowns to just four interceptions before the injury. JMU added Richmond’s Camden Coleman and UNLV’s Matthew Sluka through the transfer portal as an insurance policy, so Barnett III’s status is worth monitoring. The Dukes also added 13 defensive players through the transfer portal and will have one of the best running games in the FBS. But only seven of the 19 players who saw 200+ snaps on the defensive side of the ball are returning. There are enough moving pieces to have some doubts about this JMU squad, but the recent track record speaks for itself.
Best Bet: JMU Over 7.5 Wins (-180)
Texas State (+700 to win Sun Belt)
Texas State went 8-5 last season and nearly took down playoff-qualifier Arizona State in their third game of the season. Unfortunately, there has been quite a bit of roster turnover with starting QB Jordan McCloud, leading rusher Ismail Mahdi, three of their top receivers, three offensive line starters and 14 of the 18 defenders to have logged 250+ snaps all no longer on the team. Head coach G.J. Kinne also had to make a change at offensive coordinator as Mack Leftwich took the offensive coordinator job at Texas Tech.
Kinne did his best to address the team’s needs by bringing in 36 transfers, which included three quarterbacks, eight skill position players and 19 defensive players. They finished last season ranked seventh in the country in scoring at 36.5 points per game and will look to continue bolstering an identity as a high-flying offense. But they will need some sort of growth defensively, and the number of roster changes leaves this outlook far more theoretical for the time being. Landon Keopple stepped in as the offensive coordinator and has been around Kinne for about five years. He is well familiar with their spread offense and will keep this mostly the same. There are some friendly matchups on the schedule, but the Bobcats feel destined for a bit of a step back this season. Kinne benefited from inheriting some low expectations, but the outlook is a bit different this year. With so much uncertainty across the roster and coaching staff, I am bracing for some regression for Texas State.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 Wins (-105)
South Alabama (+700 to win the Sun Belt)
Major Applewhite took over as head coach at South Alabama last season and led the program to a 7-6 record. This marked the second consecutive 7-6 season for the Jaguars after they produced a program-best 10-3 record in 2022. They also were picked over heavily in the transfer market with QB Gio Lopez and RB Fluff Bothwell each suiting up for other programs, and several impact players on defense and in the offensive line joining them in this decision. South Alabama also had to make a change at offensive coordinator, with Rob Ezell taking the OC job at Wake Forest.
However, there is still a framework of a team in place that should inspire some belief. Quarterbacks Bishop Davenport and Zach Pyron each are dual-threats with starting experience. Kentrel Bullock tallied 984 total yards last year despite sharing touches with Bothwell, and three of the starting offensive line members are returning. Several of their high-impact defensive players remain in place, and the Jaguars added some intriguing names in the portal themselves. If Pyron or Davenport is ready to step in as a quality starting quarterback, there is still enough talent for South Alabama to make some noise. With that said, eclipsing 7.5 wins feels like a lofty goal in this conference, with many of the other teams doing more to cement their roster.
Best Bet: Under 7.5 wins (-180)
Louisiana (+700 to win the Sun Belt)
Coming off a 10-4 record in which they went 7-1 in conference play, Louisiana is looking to climb back to win the Sun Belt for the first time since 2021. Billy Napier left Louisiana following the 2021 season and has remained at Florida since. Michael Desormeaux took over as head coach ahead of the 2022 season and led the program to back-to-back 6-7 seasons before getting over the 10-win hump last year. Quarterback injuries plagued their season last year, with both Ben Wooldridge and Chandler Fields going down, but the program deserves respect for its strong overall performance regardless. They fell to Marshall and TCU in the final two games by a combined 65-6 score, with their lack of quarterback production evident.
Despite losing eight offensive and seven defensive starters, Desormeaux is more intent on rolling with some of the players already on the roster compared to other teams. Bill Davis and Zylan Perry will return at running back after combining for 1,491 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last year, and a pair of members on the defensive line, Jordan Lawson and Cameron Whitfield, are early All-Sun Belt threats. Louisiana still brought in seven notable transfers, with three being former blue-chip prospects. Former Ole Miss QB Walker Howard, LSU WR Shelton Sampson Jr., and Washington CB Curley Reed III will all look to make their mark on the Ragin’ Cajuns. This is a team that will be near the top of the conference in athleticism, and I am willing to chalk last year’s offensive collapse entirely on the quarterback injuries. Continuity is rare in college football these days, and they have more of this than many teams can say. I believe in Desormeaux’s vision and am backing the program to build off their 10 wins last year to put forth a complete season.
Best Bet: Louisiana to win the Sun Belt (+700)
Georgia Southern (+700 to win the Sun Belt)
The 8-5 record Georgia Southern produced last season marked their best since 2020. Quarterback JC French is returning for his second season as the starter and third with the program. He has to clean up some interception issues with 11 occurring last year, but French still tossed 2,831 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 249 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns with his legs. Wide receivers Dalen Cobb and Josh Dallas combined for 1,213 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and will each be returning. The Eagles also have the most proven offensive line in the conference, with both guards looked at as All-Sun Belt Conference contenders. Under Clay Helton’s reign, Georgia Southern will never be a defensive-minded team. But they put forth their most competent season on this side of the ball across his tenure and ranked as well as they have since 2020 on this side of the ball.
There was more attention paid to the defensive side of the ball in the transfer portal. It is a tough path through the regular season, which includes nonconference matchups at Fresno State, at USC, and against Jacksonville State before opening up conference play against JMU. There is a larger sample size of what this team will be compared to many other teams, and they have one of the highest floors in the conference. While I am not buying the top-end talent to be enough to push for a conference title, look for Georgia Southern to build off their eight-win season last year and produce another successful season.
Best Bet: Georgia Southern Over 7.5 Wins (+105)
Old Dominion (+800 to win the Sun Belt)
Old Dominion has not finished with a winning record since the 2016 season. Ricky Rahne took over as head coach in 2021 and the team has gone 20-30 across his tenure. While he has not pushed the program to the level of success they aspire to, there has been a comforting floor compared to what was seen with Bobby Wilder, who stepped down after a 1-11 season. The Monarchs rank in the top half of the conference in returning production. They started three different quarterbacks across last season, but redshirt freshman Colton Joseph looked promising in his eight starts and will hope to build off this.
Concerns in the secondary and at the skill position limit expectations for Old Dominion. Of the eight RBs and WRs who touched the ball at least 20 times last year, seven are no longer in the program. This is a similar situation in the secondary, with seven of their top eight players not set to suit up for the Monarchs this season. There is a baseline for what this team will be, but they fail to ‘wow’ you in any particular category. With several other teams taking more notable strides forward and being more aggressive in the transfer portal, don’t be shocked if Old Dominion takes another step back this year.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 Wins (-165)
Southern Mississippi (+1400 to win the Sun Belt)
The wheels completely fell off for Southern Mississippi last season as they finished with a 1-11 record and went 0-8 in conference play. They also lost by at least two scores in each of these losses. Charles Huff will now take the reins as head coach after leading Marshall to the Sun Belt title last year. Huff has completely flipped the roster by bringing in more than 50 transfers and roughly 25% of his roster following him down to Southern Mississippi. The only returning starters from last year are WR Davis Dalton, RT Greg Nunnery, and DT Brodarius Lewis.
Huff is attempting to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time, but has a track record worth believing in. Quarterback Braylon Braxton and wide receivers Chuck Montgomery and Carl Chester are expected to be impact players from day one and have delivered for Huff in the past, just in a different uniform. There are also a few notable players who followed offensive coordinator Blake Anderson from his tenure at Utah State as well. This level of turnover makes it difficult to project expectations, but Huff has accomplished more impressive feats with plenty of these same guys. I am backing there to be a fairly quick turnaround and for Southern Mississippi to clear their win total of 5.5.
Best Bet: Over 5.5 Wins (-110)
Troy (+1600 to win the Sun Belt)
Gerad Parker took over as head coach for Troy last season and led the team to a 4-8 record. There were large shoes to fill after Troy won the Sun Belt title in 2022 and 2023, but last year’s roster was heavily picked over and left little chance of success. The Trojans got off to a 1-7 start but showed some flashes to close the year and end with a bit more respectable record. Top performers at the QB, WR, and RB positions also fled through the portal and are playing at big-time schools this year.
There is still some room for optimism as the Trojans will be strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Goose Crowder is expected to return to the starting quarterback role, where he began last season. He threw for 491 yards, five touchdowns, and did not throw an interception across the pair of games in which he served as the primary starter. Defensively, the framework of the team should be fine with a few transfers hopefully raising the overall level. Expect some signs of progress with a full offseason of Parker having a chance to design the roster more to his liking, but Troy is still a ways away from being truly in the Sun Belt mix.
Best Bet: Under 5.5 Wins (-115)
Coastal Carolina (+2000 to win the Sun Belt)
Coastal Carolina emerged as one of the more fun storylines in college football over the past few years, which includes going 22-3 in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Jamey Chadwell left as head coach in 2022 to take the Liberty job, and Tim Beck has stepped in as the head coach since. The Chanticleers went 8-5 in his first year at the helm, but slipped to 6-7 last year. Injuries were a clear issue last season, with only four players starting all 13 games. The starting quarterback (Ethan Vasko) and running back (Braydon Bennett) each transferred, as did 24 defenders who started at least one game.
But Beck attacked the transfer portal well and especially built up the defense. Coastal Carolina added five players who made at least five tackles for a loss last season and also beefed up the secondary. San Jose State transfer Emmett Brown and Maryland transfer MJ Morris are competing for the starting quarterback role, and there are several players set to compete for the key positions. Competition can bring out the best in individuals and a team, and Coastal Carolina looks to be leaning into this theory. I am still not sold on their overall outlook and think this season should be judged on progress over direct wins and losses, but the pathway to the Chanticleers being in the mix is not impossible. Count on them looking competent throughout, and the win total is too low for my liking.
Best Bet: Over 5.5 Wins (-110)
Appalachian State (+2000 to win the Sun Belt)
The Mountaineers had not recorded a losing season since reintroducing their football program in 2014. That is until last year, when they finished 5-6, which resulted in head coach Shawn Clark being fired. Dowell Loggains will take control of the program, who spent the first 16 years of his coaching career in the NFL before taking the collegiate leap in 2021. Appalachian State lost more than 40 players in the transfer portal, but brought back a strong class of 30+ players. This includes LSU transfer QB AJ Swann, Iowa State QB transfer JJ Kohl, Austin Peay WR Jaden Barnes — who tallied over 1,000 receiving yards last year — and several other notable names.
There are few proven players on the roster and uncertainty with the first-year and first-time head coach. The top-end names are appealing, and this will be a roster loaded with athleticism. Appalachian State has one of the widest ranges for what their season will fully look like, which makes this difficult to handicap. The standard for the program is clear, and expectations will be some steps in the right direction. Hestitantly, I lean toward the over for their win total, but the Mountaineers will need to show something of substance in the early parts of the season.
Best Bet: Over 5.5 Wins (-160)
Arkansas State (+2500 to win the Sun Belt)
It has been a steep fall from grace since Arkansas State was consistently one of the more relevant non-power conference teams. Their 8-5 record last year snapped a four-season streak of finishing with a losing record and the first year under Butch Jones in which the program accomplished this. This is an important season for them to continue building off the momentum as they look to climb back into college football relevancy. Quarterback Jaylen Raynor, wide receiver Corey Rucker, and running back Ja’Quez Cross will each return after having success last year.
But only one starter is returning on defense for Arkansas State. They added some nice pieces in the transfer portal, such as DE Demarcus Hendricks and DT Cody Sigler, but compared to the rest of the conference, their transfer pool does not stand out. While many of their victories were thrilling last year, they went down to the wire in several of these and the result was up for grabs. Some of the advanced metrics suggest this was more like a four-win football team that lucked its way into some additional wins. While they still deserve credit for getting the results, this season could serve as a wake-up call unless there is some noteworthy improvement across the board.
Best Bet: Under 5.5 Wins (+125)
University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) (+3000 to win the Sun Belt)
Louisiana Monroe continues to be dead set on building up their football despite some frustrating results throughout the years. The Warhawks went 5-7 last year, which marked their best record since 2019. It still left a bit of a sour taste as the team got off to a 5-1 start before dropping each of the final six games. Bryant Vincent will be entering his second season as head coach and will continue to lean on a smashmouth approach with a run-heavy offense and strong defense. Vincent played a huge role in resurrecting the UAB football program and will look to do the same in Louisiana.
11 of the 17 defensive players with at least 200 snaps are returning to the program. ULM added eight transfers and six JUCO additions. Sophomore quarterback Aidan Armenta is returning, but he only attempted 190 passes across his 12 games with the run-heavy style in mind. Richmond’s Zach Palmer-Smith rushed for over 1,300 yards last year, and freshman D’Shaun Ford is one of the most highly coveted recruits ULM has ever had. The pair will lead the rushing attack this season. Don’t expect ULM to light up box scores with their old-school approach, but if this continues translating to wins, there will be no complaints.
Best Bet: Over 4.5 Wins (+105)
Marshall (+3000 to win Sun Belt)
A lot can change in just a few months, and this is especially evident with the Marshall football program. After going 10-3 last season and winning the Sun Belt Conference, head coach Charles Huff took his talents to Southern Mississippi over a disagreement on his contract value. The roster was quick to follow, and the Thundering Herd enter with nearly zero relevant talent from last year. No passer on the roster threw for a yard last season; no returning player rushed for a yard; only two returning players registered a catch; only one of the eight defensive linemen to log 50+ snaps is returning; two of the 13 defensive backs with 30+ snaps remain on the team; and the total linebacker snaps taken by returning players is just three.
Tony Gibson took over as head coach and has done his best to completely overhaul this roster. Transfers Zion Turner and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson combine for 2,039 career passing yards and will be the hopeful solution at quarterback. Jo’Shon Barbie and Tony Mathis Jr. each already have over 1,000 career rushing yards and will look to add to this. 10 wide receivers were brought in as transfers, with three coming off 800+ yard receiving seasons. There is some notable talent being brought in on the defensive side as well, but any way you slice it, this is an insane amount of turnover for any program to go through in a calendar year. Expectations are understandably low and there is little substance for why they should be expected to exceed those projections. Gibson did as well as he could in a short amount of time, but this is a situation that no coach can fix in just one offseason.
Best Bet: Under 5.5 Wins (-180)
Georgia State (+5000 to win Sun Belt)
Georgia State head coach Dell McGee can relate to being thrown into a tough situation. He was hired after spring practice had already started last year and was late to the game for all recruiting and transfer portal additions. McGee managed to work some late magic to add a few players and led the team to upset victories over Vanderbilt and Texas State last year. Even still, the team went 3-9 overall and still has some work to do.
Nearly 40 players left via the transfer portal, and depth will not be on the Panthers’ side this season. Quarterback Christian Veilleux and wide receiver Ted Hurst both return as foundational pieces of the team. Several notable running backs were brought in to compete for touches. The offensive line returns just one starter, but added six transfers and two JUCO additions, while the secondary still has some holes even after their transfer decisions. Georgia State has a tough early schedule, which includes matchups with Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Memphis, and JMU all in the first five weeks. The Panthers played hard last season and were competitive throughout. There is still plenty of work to be done in the long term to turn the program into any sort of threat, but expect them to be competitive again this year and scrap their way to a few wins if they survive the tough early schedule.
Best Bet: Over 3.5 Wins (-120)
