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USATSI

Georgia State coach Shawn Elliott looks to beat his alma mater on Wednesday when the Georgia State Panthers take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers in a Sun Belt Conference showdown at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, N.C. The 49-year-old Elliott is a 1996 graduate of Appalachian State and spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach for the Mountaineers under coach Jerry Moore. Elliott is in his fifth season at Georgia State, where he has gone 32-34. On Wednesday, he will match wits with App State coach Shawn Clark, who is 23-10 in three seasons with the Mountaineers. 

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Mountaineers are nine-point favorites in the latest Appalachian State vs. Georgia State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 60. Before making any Georgia State vs. Appalachian State picks or college football predictions, you need to see what SportsLine football expert Emory Hunt Jr. has to say.

Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. He knows the game from a player's perspective.

In addition, he has his finger on the pulse of App State. He is 11-3 (+768) in his last 14 college football picks involving the Mountaineers. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Hunt has zeroed in on App State vs. Georgia State and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Hunt's picks. Here here are several college football odds and betting lines for Georgia State vs. App State:

  • Appalachian State vs. Georgia State spread: Mountaineers -9
  • Appalachian State vs. Georgia State over/under: 60 points 
  • Appalachian State vs. Georgia State money line: Mountaineers -345, Panthers +270
  • APST: QB Chase Brice ranks eighth in the country in touchdown passes (18) 
  • GAST: CB Quavian White is tied for fifth among active FBS players in career interceptions (11) 
  • Appalachian State vs. Georgia State picks: See picks here

Why Appalachian State can cover

Nick Hampton has a knack for getting into opponents' backfields. A physical presence on defense, Hampton has 24.5 career sacks, which ranks behind only Iowa State's Will McDonald (32.5), Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. (29.5) and Nevada's Dom Peterson (26.0) among active FBS players. Hampton anchors a defense that has allowed just 293.2 total yards per game over the last five games.

In addition, App State faces a Georgia State defense that has struggled to stop the run this season. The Panthers allow 179.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks 13th in the 14-team Sun Belt and 106th in the country. That bodes well for a Mountaineers offense that averages 4.64 yards per carry, third best in the Sun Belt.

Why Georgia State can cover

Georgia State's ground game is on a roll. The Panthers average 234.5 rushing yards per game, which leads the conference and ranks 13th in the country. In victories over Army and Georgia Southern the last two weeks, the Panthers rushed for 634 yards combined.

In addition, Georgia State has a playmaker in cornerback Quavian White. A senior from Greer, S.C., White ranks fourth in the FBS in interceptions, with four. In the season opener at South Carolina, he had two interceptions, two tackles for loss including a sack, a pass breakup and five tackles. He has 11 career interceptions, which is the program record and tied for fifth among active FBS players. 

How to make App State vs. Georgia State picks

Hunt has analyzed this matchup and while he's leaning Over the total, he has discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who covers in Georgia State vs. App State? And what crucial x-factor causes one side of the spread to hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump all over Wednesday, all from the football expert who is 11-3 in his last 14 picks involving the Mountaineers, and find out.