Coastal Carolina vs. Arkansas State Pick ATS

When: Thursday, October 8, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, Ark.

TV: ESPNU

Point Spread: CCU -19/ARST +19 (Bovada – Get a 50% real cash bonus up to $250, rebates on ALL your bets win, lose or draw and FAST BTC payouts!)

Total: O/U 71.5

Outlook

Coastal Carolina broke through in a big way against Arkansas State, and the odds are that they’re going to keep the success coming, as they’ve looked very good through the first five games of the season and appear to be every bit capable of defending their Sun Belt title and making a run at a major bowl game at the end of the season. Coastal appears to have once again picked the wrong year to be elite, as it’s likely to be blocked from a New Year’s Six bowl by Cincinnati, but another conference championship should be a very reachable goal.

Arkansas State, on the other hand, appears to be completely sunk. The Red Wolves haven’t yet recorded a win against an FBS squad, as their only win came in the opener against Central Arkansas. Since then, Arkansas State has been unable to stop anyone, having given up an average of 51.75 points per game to FBS competition. The loss to Georgia Southern last week was the height of ugliness, as the Red Wolves surrendered 59 points in the defeat.

That’s a real problem in the face of a Coastal offense that has piled up 528 yards of offense per game and averages 48.2 points per game. With the Chanticleers flying high, is there any way that the Red Wolves can stay in the game?

How the Public is Betting the Coastal Carolina/Arkansas State Game

The public doesn’t believe in the Red Wolves in the slightest, as the line has already jumped from +17.5 to +19, and 78 percent of tickets have come in on the Chanticleers. The total has also increased, with the number hitting 71.5 after starting at 70.

Injury Concerns

Coastal Carolina:
Running back Shermari Jones (lower body), quarterback Grayson McCall (leg), and kicker Massimo Biscardi (lower body) are day to day.

Arkansas State:
Arkansas State reports no injuries.

When Coastal Carolina Has the Ball

Coastal Carolina says that Grayson McCall is good to go after rolling his ankle in the win over Louisiana-Monroe, and as long as that’s the case, the Chanticleers should be able to do what they want in this one. McCall is the most accurate passer in the nation at 80.2 percent, and while that’s partially because Coastal hasn’t exactly played against a great defense, it’s also because McCall is an excellent passer and has a strong running game to back him up. Shermari Jones got a bit banged up against Louisiana-Monroe, but Reese White proved he could do the job just as well, showing that Coastal is just as adept at getting the job done on the ground as they are when putting the game in McCall’s hands.

Given the defense they’re facing here, this appears to be a matter of how Coastal wants to attack because the Red Wolves have shown no signs of being able to stop anybody they’ve come up against. Arkansas State is giving up an average of 563 yards per game and 45.6 points per game, so the Chanticleers shouldn’t really have any trouble scoring here. As long as they don’t put the brakes on too soon, they’ll be in good shape here.

When Arkansas State Has the Ball

The Red Wolves problems have been on defense, not offense, as their passing attack is pretty solid. James Blackman struggled with his decisions against Georgia Southern, but for the most part, he’s been a productive quarterback, even tossing for four touchdowns against Memphis in a 55-50 loss to the Tigers.

The real issue when Arkansas State has the football is the Red Wolves can’t run the ball. Johnnie Lang Jr. is the leading rusher for the Red Wolves, at just 125 yards on 32 carries. That’s not a bad YPC, but it’s a sign that the Red Wolves are not really concerned with running the football. With Corey Rucker catching passes, Arkansas State really doesn’t need to run it that much, but in this game, it might be difficult for the Red Wolves to try to stick with the Chanticleers without at least trying to move it on the ground. If the Red Wolves can’t keep the clock moving and extend drives, Coastal will just keep the points coming.

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Betting Trends

There isn’t a lot of history between these teams, as they have only met four times in their brief history as Sun Belt rivals. So far, most of these games haven’t been close, as only the 2019 meeting was decided by less than four touchdowns. The Chanticleers usually give a lot of points in Sun Belt play, but it hasn’t hurt them at all with gamblers: they’ve covered in seven of their past nine conference contests, with one push.

Playing conference games isn’t really Arkansas State’s preferred method. The Red Wolves are just 2-5 ATS in their past seven league games, and they’re just 3-7 ATS in their past ten games in October. You’d think high totals were just part of the story for the Red Wolves, but they’ve actually gone under in six of their past eight games when they were a home underdog.

Weather Report

If the rain is out of the way in eastern Arkansas, it’ll be a fine night for football. Temperatures will hit the mid-60s, and wind will be non-existent, blowing at just one mile per hour. There is worry about some rain in the forecast during the day, but by evening, it should clear up.

Dan’s Pick to Cover the Spread

The Red Wolves don’t really seem to belong on the same field as the Chanticleers, and with Coastal playing very well and looking to make a statement, I don’t see Arkansas State keeping this close for very long. I think Coastal establishes a big lead and puts this one on cruise control. Give me the Chanticleers to cover. Bet your pick for FREE by taking advantage of the BEST small sportsbook bonus on the web: Deposit $25 and get $50 FREE! This is a 200% bonus and you wont find anything like it elsewhere! Detailis: Register for an account at Intertops Sportsbook through this special link. Deposit $25 then go to their special promotions page and enter code ROOKIE200. The extra fifty bucks wdill show up in your account immediately!