It could be a shootout on Thursday night when the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns host the Georgia Southern Eagles in a Sun Belt matchup at Cajun Field in Lafayette. Georgia Southern (5-4, 2-3) has one of the nation's top passing offenses, but while Louisiana (4-5, 2-4) isn't nearly as prolific on that side of the ball, the Eagles defense is the worst in the conference. Defense has been the Cajuns' bread and butter, so this is an intriguing matchup. Both come in off losses on Saturday, with the Eagles falling to South Alabama 38-31 and Louisiana suffering a 23-17 loss to Troy, its second defeat in a row. The Cajuns have dominated this series, though they have played just five times since Georgia Southern moved up to FBS in 2014. Louisiana has won four of the meetings, including the past three. They won 28-20 in Jonesboro last year and took a 20-18 victory as an 11.5-point home underdog in 2020.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Ragin' Cajuns are a 3.5-point favorite in the latest Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over/under for total points scored is 62.5, up 3.5 points from the opening line. Before making any Louisiana vs. Georgia Southern picks, make sure you check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in on Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana and just revealed its CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the CFB odds and betting lines for Louisiana vs. Georgia Southern:
- Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana spread: Ragin' Cajuns -3.5
- Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana over/under: 62.5 points
- Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana money line: Ragin' Cajuns -170, Eagles +143
- GS: Georgia Southern is 10-6 SU all-time in its games played on Thursdays
- LOU: Louisiana is 16-11-1 ATS at home since the start of the 2018 season
- Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana picks: See picks here
Why Louisiana can cover
If Louisiana wins or covers, it will likely be because of defense. The Ragin' Cajuns have a clear edge there, with Georgia Southern almost last in FBS in yardage allowed. The Eagles yield almost 485 yards per game (129th in the nation), with 223 coming on the ground (127th). UL allows 347 yards per game (34th in FBS) and less than 22 points (36th) and also has 20 takeaways (T-8). The offense hasn't been great, but running back Chris Smith should have success against GSU. He has 408 yards, averaging 5.4 per carry, and the Eagles are yielding 5.7 per attempt.
The Cajuns are 5-4 ATS this season, and they could cause trouble for Kyle Vantrease. The GSU quarterback hasn't been taken down often, but he has thrown 13 interceptions. The Cajuns will get after him, and they have 23 sacks. Defensive tackle Zi'Yon Hill-Green has 6.5, and end Andre Jones has five. If they can't sack him, they can force mistakes, and Louisiana has picked off 14 passes, four by safety Bralen Trahan. UL quarterback Ben Woolridge has 1,468 passing yards and 12 TDs, and receiver Michael Jefferson averages 17.1 yards on his 36 receptions.
Why Georgia Southern can cover
Georgia Southern is 6-3 ATS this season, and the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the five meetings between these teams. The Eagles rank third in the nation in passing (331 yards per game) and lead the Sun Belt in scoring at 36 per contest. The Cajuns score less than 26 points per game, ranking eighth in the conference. Vantrease has at least one TD pass in every game and has 20 overall. He has been sacked just three times. Four receivers have at least 450 yards, with Khaleb Hood posting 60 catches for 685 and Derwin Burgess Jr. adding 642 on 53 receptions.
Vantrease can do damage downfield, with all four receivers having at least one catch of 45 yards or longer. Jalen White is fifth in the Sun Belt in rushing with 743 yards and has scored 10 touchdowns, adding one more among 19 receptions. The road team has covered the spread in four of five meetings, and GSU has some talent on defense. Linebacker Marques Watson-Trent has 80 tackles, and defensive backs Derrick Canteen and Anthony Wilson are playmakers. Wilson has 1.5 sacks and an interception, while Canteen has batted down nine passes.
How to make Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 55 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only get the model's CFB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Louisiana vs. Georgia Southern on Thursday night? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Georgia Southern vs. Louisiana spread to back on Thursday, all from the advanced model that has been crushing its top-rated college football picks, and find out.
