The Ball State Cardinals and Georgia State Panthers are both looking for their first bowl winning streak in their program's history when they meet Saturday in the 2021 Camellia Bowl. The winner will have consecutive bowl victories for the first time. Ball State (6-6, 4-4) broke its run of bowl futility at seven games last year when it defeated San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl, while Georgia State has alternated bowl wins and losses for the past four seasons. The Panthers (7-5, 6-2) beat Western Kentucky last year in the LendingTree Bowl. The programs have met twice before, with each winning in the other's home stadium.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on Christmas Day from the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The Panthers are six-point favorites in the latest Georgia State vs. Ball State odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total points is set at 52. Before locking in any Ball State vs. Georgia State picks or Camellia Bowl 2021 predictions, be sure to see the betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters the second week of the 2021-22 college football bowl season on a 43-30 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ball State vs. Georgia State and locked in its Camellia Bowl 2021 picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and betting trends for Georgia State vs. Ball State:
- Georgia State vs. Ball State point spread: Georgia State -6
- Georgia State vs. Ball State over-under total: 52 points
- Georgia State vs. Ball State: Georgia State -230, Ball State +190
- GSU: The Panthers are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as favorites.
- BSU: The Cardinals are 10-4 against the spread in their last 14 games as an underdog.
Why Georgia State can cover
The Georgia State rushing attack surged down the stretch and the Panthers finished ranked No. 8 nationally with 224.5 yards per contest. They also appear to have a favorable matchup in the 2021 Camellia Bowl against a Ball State defense that has struggled against strong rushing attacks.
The Cardinals have played two of the top five rushing teams in FBS this season and didn't fare particularly well against either of them. They allowed Northern Illinois to gain 264 ground yards, above their average of 241 (No. 5 in the country).
Ball State held Army to 123 rushing yards, well below the Black Knights' season average of 286.4 (second in the country). But Ball State forged a 21-0 lead on its way to a 28-16 victory and Army was forced to pass much more often than it would have liked while attempting a second-half comeback.
Georgia State's offensive line had three players received all-conference recognition, led by left guard Shamarious Gilmore (first team). Center Malik Sumter made the second team and guard Pat Bartlett was named to the third team.
Why Ball State can cover
The Cardinals have a potent offense of their own and have scored at least 31 points in four of their six victories this season. Fifth-year senior Drew Plitt is one of the more experienced signal-callers in the FBS. He has seen action in all five of his years in uniform and has been the unquestioned starter for the past three seasons.
Plitt has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,248 yards and 17 touchdowns against five interceptions. A balanced rushing attack that puts up 133.4 yards per game is sparked by freshman Carson Steele, who has a team-high 829 yards on 177 carries.
Ball State's sometimes-leaky defense improved down the stretch, allowing just 28 combined points in wins over Akron in Buffalo. The Cardinals finished with the MAC's fourth-rated defense, allowing 26.5 points per contest.
How to make Ball State vs. Georgia State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 51 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 60 percent of the time. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Ball State vs. Georgia State in the Camellia Bowl 2021? And which side of the spread hits over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the advanced model that is up almost $3,600 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
