Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Odds, Picks, Opt-Out Tracker for the Myrtle Beach Bowl
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Odds, Picks, Opt-Out Tracker for the Myrtle Beach Bowl
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Start Time and Where to Watch - Myrtle Beach Bowl
- Date: Saturday, December 16, 2023
- Start Time: 11:00 am ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Odds
- Spread: Georgia Southern -2.5 (-110), Ohio +2.5 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 48.5 (-110), Under 48.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Georgia Southern (-140), Ohio (+115)
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Preview
The Georgia Southern Eagles will take on the Ohio Bobcats in this year's Myrtle Beach Bowl to kick off bowl season.
The Eagles had a miserable end to the season after a promising 6-2 start. They lost their last four games, two of which were blowouts. To be fair, three of the last four were on the road, and the non-blowouts were one-score losses in the fourth quarter.
They will look to get a bounce-back win to finish their season on a high note after falling short in many tough games. The vast majority of their offense is intact, and they will need it against this staunch Ohio defense.
The Ohio Bobcats come into this contest without several of their key players on offense. Starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke has transferred to Indiana since the end of the season, and he's not the only one. The Bobcats will also be without their top-two rushers, O'Shaan Allison and Sieh Bangura, who are hitting the portal as well. To make matters worse, their leading receiver Miles Cross has opted out after reeling in five touchdowns and over 600 yards receiving on the year.
The Bobcats had already lost their backup quarterback for the season to an injury, so they will be forced to turn to their third-string QB, Parker Navarro. He has only 65 yards passing on the year, and will be working with none of the weapons that populated the offense in the regular season. Ohio may not be an offensively focused team to begin with, but trying to step into action with nearly no first-team starters at this point in the season is a difficult task for a team of any style.
Their defense will also be taking a hit, as the second-leading tackler has also opted out of this contest. Middle linebacker Keye Thompson will not be playing in this game, after registering 94 tackles this year. He isn't the whole team, but disrupting the chemistry with a defensive leader out will not benefit this tough defense, and may throw off the sync in the heat of the action.
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Odds - Myrtle Beach Bowl
| Team | Moneyline Odds | Point Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Southern | -140 | -2.5 (-110) | Over 48.5 (-105) |
| Ohio | +115 | +2.5 (-110) | Under 48.5 (-115) |
Click here for Georgia Southern vs. Ohio odds
The first game of bowl season has truly epitomized the chaos of the opt-out era, and has caused this line to fly back and forth across the board. Originally opening at Ohio -2.5 on Selection Sunday, the first line made sense. Ohio had a top-10 scoring defense this year, and rode that to an impressive 9-3 record.
Shortly after the release, nearly every skill player on offense announced they were opting out or transferring. It was reported that they would be losing their starting quarterback, top two running backs, and leading receiver to the portal. As a result, the line flipped almost immediately, and steadily climbed to Georgia Southern -3.5 at the peak.
In the last two days since, it has slowly regressed back to -2.5 for the Eagles as the game approaches on Saturday morning. It is a somewhat standard buyback for a line that moved over six points in just a week, with some bettors looking to ride with Ohio's defense despite the opt-outs now that they are catching over a field goal of insurance.
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Prediction
It's tough to narrow it down to a decision in the current bowl era, with so many opt-outs and transfers. In this matchup, it boils down to who is missing less. The Ohio Bobcats have seemingly lost their entire offense to injuries or transfers. Without their quarterback, top two running backs, or leading wide receiver, it is nearly impossible to put a stake on their side. We are going to ride with Georgia Southern to bounce back after several unfortunate losses, and take advantage of an Ohio team who will struggle offensively.
- Pick: Georgia Southern -2.5 (-110) (Bet $110 to collect $100) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio Opt-Out Tracker
Georgia Southern Opt-Outs
- Jalen Denton, S (transfer portal)
- Beau Allen, QB (transfer portal)
- Myles Winslow, DL (transfer portal)
- Chris Crouch, S (transfer portal)
Ohio Opt-Outs
- Keye Thompson, LB (transfer portal)
- Tristan Cox, DL (transfer portal)
- Caden Campoliete, LB (transfer portal)
- Kurtis Rourke, QB (transfer portal)
- Sieh Bangura, RB (transfer portal)
- O’Shaan Allison, RB (transfer portal)
- Tyler Walton, WR (transfer portal)
- Miles Cross, WR (transfer portal)
College Football Odds
Peter is a sports writer focused on coverage and analysis of college football and basketball, as well as the NFL and other major sports. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, he has been writing sports articles for over 8 years.
After working for ClutchPoints, Peter joined OddsChecker in 2023. He is a New York sports superfan and is fluent in the sports betting industry.