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South Alabama vs Appalachian State Picks: ATS, Over/Under and Moneyline for 9/19

  • South Alabama coming off an 87-point explosion vs Northwestern State.
  • Appalachian State is looking to stay unbeaten at home in 2024.
  • This contest is the Sun Belt Conference opener for the season.
  • Check the college football odds and place your bets on this game.

 

The first game of Week 4 of the college football season is also the first game matching two Sun Belt Conference foes against each other. On Thursday night, the league portion of the schedule begins with the Appalachian State Mountaineers playing at home against the South Alabama Jaguars.

CFB Odds: App State ATS Pick vs South Alabama 9/16
Joey Aguilar #4 of the Appalachian State Mountaineers/Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images/AFP

South Alabama (1-2) made major college football news last week, putting 87 points on the board against Northwestern State in an 87-10 victory. The game ended up being shortened by agreement of both coaches by six minutes because it was such a blowout.

The Mountaineers improved to 2-1 with a win on the road against East Carolina on Saturday. Appalachian State is looking to reach a bowl game for the second straight season and eighth time in nine campaigns in 2024 after facing Miami (Ohio) in the Cure Bowl last season.

Appalachian State is the favorite at -320 on the BetUS Sportsbook for this contest, giving seven points at home to the Jaguars. The over/under for the game is set at 64½ points, with -110 odds on either side of the wager.

 

3 Keys to Betting South Alabama vs App State

1. Lopez Leads Exciting South Alabama Offense

Possibly one of the better freshman small-school quarterbacks in the country this season is the Jaguars’ Gio Lopez, who has passed for 689 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions in just two games. Lopez is a redshirt who played sparingly in 2023 but still threw for 475 yards and four touchdowns.


Against Northwestern State, Lopez was 15-of-19 for 257 yards and four touchdowns. This after he threw for 432 yards and three scores in a season-opening 52-38 shootout loss to North Texas. Lopez can also run the ball, toting the rock 13 times for 62 yards and a score against the Mean Green.

Lopez’s ground work may be limited, however, as he missed the Jaguars’ Week 2 loss to Ohio with a toe injury. He ran just once against Northwestern State for four yards last week.

Still, passing the ball, Lopez can make things tough on a defense and he has plenty of targets to look for. The leading one is wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett, who leads the team with 20 catches for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Devin Voisin has 13 grabs for 184 yards but has yet to find the end zone.

If South Alabama is going to go against the college football predictions and win this game, it is going to need another mistake-free performance from Lopez.

 

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2. Appalachian State has Some Offensive Punch Too

Despite a 2-1 record, Appalachian State hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard. Unless the Mountaineers can effectively shut down the South Alabama offense, they’re going to need to find a way to get to the end zone themselves.

ASU scored 21 points in a two-point win at East Carolina on Saturday, with senior quarterback Joey Aguilar throwing for a career-high 424 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, including a pick-six, forcing the Mountaineers to rally from a 16-0 deficit to earn the 21-19 victory.

I was just trusting in myself and my receivers,” said Aguilar after the win. “They have a really good run defense, so we had to keep them honest and keep pushing down the field. We were successful at that.

Like Lopez, Aguilar has a few players to look for in the passing game. Four players come into this game with double-digit receptions, led by wide receiver Kaedin Robinson, who has 18 for 290 yards. Christian Horn has 11 receptions for 244 yards and a touchdown while Makai Jackson has made 18 catches for 164 yards and two scores.

The over is definitely in play when you’re betting online in this one. Both teams can throw the ball effectively, so 64½ points is an attainable total.

 

3. Turnovers Will Be Key

As stated earlier, Appalachian State had to come back from a 16-0 deficit last week, thanks in part to a pick-six touchdown. The Mountaineers have turned the ball over six times in three games, which could help the South Alabama offense if it can start in good field position.

Lopez, on the other hand, has avoided interceptions despite putting the ball in the air 68 times. The Jaguars have also lost just one fumble in their three contests this season.

In a game between two teams that could be fairly evenly matched, turnovers will play a key role in determining who comes out on top.

Our college football picks for this game have the Mountaineers playing well enough at home to win and cover. South Alabama’s big offensive showing last week was impressive, but it came against an FCS Northwestern State team that hasn’t finished above .500 since 2008.

 

Bet on these South Alabama vs App State Picks

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Question Of The Day

Who leads the all-time series between South Alabama and Appalachian State?


The Mountaineers hold a 4-1 edge in their all-time series with the Jaguars, winning the last four matchups, including a 31-7 win at home in 2021 in the most recent meeting.

 

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets

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