First Time Underdog Appalachian State Battles Coastal Carolina
The 48-point over/under line is the lowest that either team has faced this season
Quick-Hitters
- Despite averaging 37.8 points on offense each game, Coastal Carolina's over/under record stands at 3-4 this season.
- At 6-1, Appalachian State (+5.5) is an underdog for the first time.
- An average point line for Appalachian State games this season is about 60 total points. The 48-point line against Coastal Carolina is the lowest over/under total that either team has seen this season.
- Coastal Carolina (-200) is favored by 5.5 points over Appalachian State (+170) with the over/under set at 48 total points. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE GAME ODDS!
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Coastal Carolina's Upswing
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers remain among the nation’s unbeaten teams at 7-0. After going 5-7, including 2-6 in conference play in each of the past two seasons, Coastal Carolina has come out of nowhere in 2020. The Chanticleers are proving to be the real deal with wins over Kansas and a ranked Louisiana team. More impressively, they've managed to go 5-1-1 ATS. However, they'll be dealing with a 6-1 Appalachian State (+5.5) team that's an underdog for the first time all season.
CCU freshman quarterback Grayson McCall has been the real deal. He’s thrown 16 touchdown passes and just one interception over six games. While it’s fair to question the competition he has faced, that's a terrific ratio. McCall is also a capable runner, who is Coastal Carolina’s third-leading rusher this year. The backfield trio of CJ Marable, Reese White, and Shermari Jones has been an underrated part of CCU’s success this season.
Coastal Carolina has done their part on the scoring side, averaging 37.8 points per contest. Despite the high output, their over/under record stands at 3-4 this season.
Defensively, the Chanticleers have also taken a huge step forward this season. They’ve allowed a total of 20 points over their last three games, taking things to another level after an unspectacular start to the season. Even against some of the Sun Belt’s best offensive teams like Louisiana and Arkansas State, the Coastal Carolina hasn’t allowed more than 27 points in a game this season.
App State Bounce Back
With their third head coach in as many years, the Appalachian State Mountaineers have taken a slight step back in 2020. An early-season loss to Marshall knocked them out of the top-25 and took App State off the national radar. However, the Mountaineers have won five-straight games since that loss and remain undefeated in Sun Belt play. More importantly, they have won at least a share of the Sun Belt championship in four-straight seasons, and a win on Saturday would go a long way toward putting the Mountaineers back in the conference title game.
Even with a three-year starter at quarterback in Zac Thomas, the Appalachian State rushing attack has taken center stage this season. The trio of Daetrich Harrington, Cameron Peoples, and Marcus Williams is shredding opponents week after week. Thomas is also a running threat, helping the Mountaineers to average an impressive 5.6 yards per carry. The offense is averaging 32.1 points per contest.
Even with the offense posting at least 31 points in 5-of-7 games this season, Appalachian State's over/under record stands at 1-6. However, their average point line is about 60 this season. The 48-point line against Coastal Carolina is the lowest over/under total that either team has seen this campaign.
Defensively, the Mountaineers are still setting the standard in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers have given up no more than 21 points in a game this season, reloading quickly on that side of the ball. To be fair, they’ve yet to play the most difficult teams on their schedule outside of Marshall, so their sample size against lethal offenses is rather small.
Lines To Watch
Obviously, something will have to give in this game. Coastal Carolina has arguably the best quarterback and best offense in the Sun Belt. App State has an outstanding defense. While that will be the main matchup to watch in this game, the CCU defense is the wild card, as they will have to find a way to slow down App State’s potent rushing attack.
App State (+5.5) receives points as an underdog for the first time this season. At 6-1, they receive some decent odds (+170) to win. The 48-point over/under line is one to watch, especially when you consider that it's the lowest that either team has seen this season.
