The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (4-4, 1-3 SBC) host the Appalachian State Mountaineers (4-4, 2-3 Sun Belt) on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
App State has rebounded nicely in conference play after some suspect performances earlier in the conference schedule. On the other side, Coastal Carolina has seemingly lost its edge while losing its last 3 games.
That makes for an interesting Thursday night college football game.
Appalachian State enters as a slim 2-point favorite in the contest with an over/under set at 62.5.
So, where does the betting value lie? Let's take a look at my Appalachian State vs. Coastal Carolina predictions and college football picks for Thursday, Nov. 7.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers Prediction
- Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State Pick: Over 61.5
My Friday college football best bet is on both teams to go over the total, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State Odds and Spread
| Coastal Carolina Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+2 -110 | 62.5 -110o / -110u | +110 |
| Appalachian State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-2 -110 | 62.5 -110o / -110u | -130 |
- Spread: Coastal Carolina +2, Appalachian State -2
- Over/Under: 62.5 Total Points
- Moneyline: Coastal Carolina ML +110, Appalachian State ML -130
Why Coastal Carolina Can Cover
Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, has faded fast after a hot 4-1 start to the season.
The Chants have been largely non-competitive on defense while surrendering over 500 yards each of the last two weeks.
Last week against Troy, the Coastal defensive front seven was shredded on the ground, as the Trojans ran for a season-high 342 yards with a 6.2 yards-per-carry average.
Troy has struggled to find a replacement at quarterback for injured starter Goose Crowder and turned to third-stringer Matthew Caldwell in this game. Caldwell completed 9-of-16 passes for 169 yards in this contest but had only performed at an average level in previous action.
This makes the Chants' inability to stop the run even more shocking given that the threat of an efficient Troy passing attack was minimal.
Why Appalachian State Can Cover
App State comes in off its best performance of the conference season: a 28-20 home win against Old Dominion last week.
The Mountaineers found themselves down double digits in the first half but used a long touchdown pass from Joey Aguilar to Dalton Stroman late in the second quarter to get back in it.
App State held ODU to just three points in the second half, as three forced turnovers were the key to swinging momentum to the Mountaineers' side.
I have been impressed with what App State has shown us over the last couple of weeks. This team was dead in the water and going nowhere, but the way it has rebounded is impressive.
The Mountaineers now have a clear path to bowl eligibility — a way to salvage this disappointing season.
Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State match up statistically:
Appalachian State Offense vs. Coastal Carolina Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 52 | 114 | |
| Line Yards | 33 | 125 | |
| Pass Success | 65 | 101 | |
| Havoc | 40 | 130 | |
| Finishing Drives | 60 | 117 | |
| Quality Drives | 59 | 118 | |
Coastal Carolina Offense vs. Appalachian State Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 73 | 129 | |
| Line Yards | 74 | 131 | |
| Pass Success | 112 | 122 | |
| Havoc | 21 | 125 | |
| Finishing Drives | 11 | 133 | |
| Quality Drives | 75 | 129 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 110 | 122 |
| PFF Coverage | 98 | 123 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 119 | 34 |
| Middle 8 | 41 | 32 |
| Seconds per Play | 25.7 (40) | 26.5 (52) |
| Rush Rate | 47% (99) | 57% (39) |
How to Make My Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State Best Bet
I'm going to bet the over in this matchup here between two bad defenses.
App State has won its last two games against Georgia State and Old Dominion despite allowing 884 total yards.
Last week against ODU, the Monarchs turned the ball over four times inside App State territory and had a fifth drive that was stopped on downs on the plus side of the field. Looking at the final score, it would seem as though the App State defense played well, but in reality, it was just the benefactor of fortunate turnover luck.
The App State defense has struggled to create Havoc over the course of the season, ranking 130th nationally. The Mountaineers had only recorded five turnovers prior to forcing four last week.
In addition to not generating pressure, App State has struggled with allowing explosive plays and getting stops. For the season, the Mountaineers are allowing 5.5 yards per carry and 8.7 yards per pass while ranking 107th in Defensive Explosiveness.
This Mountaineer defense will be the weakest that CCU has faced in Sun Belt play this season, and I can see this Chants offense having success here at home — especially considering they rank fourth nationally in Havoc Allowed and 29th in Offensive Success Rate.
The issue for Coastal during the three-game losing streak has been its leaky defense. The Chants have allowed over 500 yards in each of the last two weeks against Louisiana and Troy.
They also found themselves down 36-7 early in the third quarter on the road at JMU before the Dukes took their foot off the gas.
On the season, Coastal Carolina is allowing 428 yards and 33 points per game while surrendering 6.1 yards per play on defense. Coastal also struggles with creating pressure and negative plays, as it has recorded only 31 tackles for loss all season.
When looking at an over, I want to assess red-zone defense. App State has allowed touchdowns on 18-of-29 red-zone attempts and some kind of score on 27-of-29 attempts.
Coastal, meanwhile, has given up six points on 20-of-28 red-zone trips and some kind of points on 27-of-28.
I believe we'll see both of these offenses move the ball a ton here with plenty of red-zone opportunities. I can't trust either defense to secure stops, and as long as we avoid significant red-zone turnover misfortune, this game should go over.
Pick: Over 61.5
Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State Start Time, TV Channel, How to Watch
| Location: | Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC |
| Date: | Thursday, Nov. 7 |
| Kickoff Time: | 8 p.m. ET |
| TVÂ /Â Streaming: | ESPN |
Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina meet in Conway, South Carolina, on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
College Football Betting Trends for Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State
- 72% of bets and 48% of the money on the moneyline are on Coastal Carolina to win outright
- 54% of bets and 58% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NCAAF public betting & money percentages page.
Coastal Carolina vs. Appalachian State Weather Forecast
