The Old Dominion Monarchs will play host to the Georgia Southern Eagles on Thursday, pitting two desperate 2-4 teams against each other in Norfolk, Virginia. Each side only has one win against an FBS opponent in 2026, with both boasting a road conference victory on their resume.
Georgia Southern is a 3.5-point road favorite on Thursday at -180 Moneyline odds, while Old Dominion has +150 Moneyline odds. The game total for the Sun Belt contest is set at 47.5 points. Here is a preview of the Week 7 showdown featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Old Dominion Monarchs Raiders Preview
Georgia Southern
After shutting out Charleston Southern 31-0 to open the season, Georgia Southern has had a pretty rough go against FBS competition. The Eagles hung around but ultimately lost 22-7 to Clemson, then fell 31-27 at Jacksonville State and 42-28 versus then-No. 20 Houston. They finally got back on track by besting Coastal Carolina 31-24 on the road, only to lose 27-24 to James Madison at home in Week 6.
Max Johnson has been a true gunslinger in his first season with the Eagles. The 25-year-old, who spent two seasons apiece at LSU, Texas A&M, and North Carolina, leads the Sun Belt with 148 completions, 224 attempts, and 1,572 yards – good for 262.0 per game. But despite his 66.1% completion percentage, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions, Johnson’s lackluster 7.0 yards per attempt drag his passer rating down to a pretty pedestrian 139.4. He has posted three straight games with a passer rating over 157.0, though, so the veteran does seem to be getting in a groove, at least.
Wideout Josh Dallas leads the Sun Belt with 39 catches, but he hasn’t found the end zone and is one of five different Eagles with between 200 and 290 receiving yards. Tight end River Helms and receiver Alex Taylor are among Johnson’s other favorite targets, especially with Illinois transfer Ashton Hollins undergoing shoulder surgery. With such a sharp focus on the passing game, David Mbadinga is Georgia Southern’s leading rusher with just 233 yards midway through the season. Still, quarterback Weston Bryan has added 153 yards and five touchdowns on the ground in his gadget role.
Coach Clay Helton’s offense ranks No. 69 in total offense and No. 73 in yards per play, but No. 96 in scoring. Their passing game ranks in the top 25 in terms of volume, all while their run game ranks No. 117 in yards per game. On defense, Georgia Southern ranks No. 108 in passer rating allowed. The Eagles do, however, rank No. 44 in third down defense, No. 52 in yards against per game, and No. 54 in yards allowed per play. In the opponent-adjusted SP+ efficiency rankings, Georgia Southern comes in at No. 90. The Eagles rank No. 82 on offense, No. 102 on defense, and No. 116 on special teams.
Old Dominion
The Monarchs started 2026 with a 31-10 win over Norfolk State, but they followed that up with a four-game losing streak to FBS opponents. While Old Dominion kept it close at home against East Carolina in Week 3, it lost in blowout fashion to Virginia Tech, James Madison, and Georgia State. They finally got back in the win column last week by grinding out a 10-3 road victory over Appalachian State.
Quarterback Quinn Henicle isn’t the most effective through the air, completing just 54.5% of his passes for three touchdowns, four interceptions, 114.0 yards per game, and a 111.1 passer rating. He is among the nation’s most run-heavy quarterbacks, though, as he has already rushed for 323 yards and four touchdowns. When Henicle was out against James Madison, Old Dominion completely switched up its offense by turning to Ryan Huff, who attempted 39 passes and finished with 261 yards.
Regardless of who has been under center, Devin Roche has been the top running back for the Monarchs. But while he broke 100 yards against both East Carolina and App State, he hasn’t topped 45 in any of his other four outings. And although Roche’s 66.7 scrimmage yards per game are the most on the team, he hasn’t scored a touchdown, and no other running back on the team has even cleared 80 total yards on the season. There are also five receivers and tight ends with at least 100 yards, yet none of them have reached 200 through six games.
Defensive end Javen Gibson is one of six Monarchs to force a fumble this season, on top of his 5.0 sacks and Sun Belt-high 8.5 tackles for loss. Old Dominion is tied for No. 31 in the nation in sacks and stands alone at No. 11 in tackles for loss. Their 134.0 passer rating allowed is pretty much dead middle of FBS, and their third down conversion rate allowed ranks No. 37. Meanwhile, their offense averages the second-fewest yards per game in the country. The Monarchs rank No. 108 overall in SP+ with the No. 123 offense, No. 72 defense, and No. 101 special teams unit.
Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Old Dominion Monarchs Pick, Best Bet
Old Dominion boasts one of the 10 worst passing offenses in FBS, and their ground offense ranks outside the top 100 too. Going against a team that is above average on third down, I don’t see the Monarchs moving the ball very efficiently on Thursday. It’s tough to tell what Old Dominion’s defense has in store – they allowed 40-plus points in three out of four contests before holding App State to three last week – which throws a bit of a wrench into any point total pick.
It is worth noting that there was a tropical system sweeping through North Carolina during that game, so it’s pretty easy to write off ODU’s defensive performance as heavily aided by the rain and wind. I have faith that Georgia Southern, with an experienced and revitalized Max Johnson, can move the ball and secure a win Thursday night. The Eagles have scored at least 24 points in four straight – a number that Old Dominion hasn’t reached once against an FBS team this season. The Monarchs have only made it to 20 points once in their last five games, and they only got there with a touchdown and two-point conversion in garbage time.
