Tuesday’s installment of the 2022 bowl season is set for Montgomery, Alabama, as the Buffalo Bulls (6-6) meet the Georgia Southern Eagles (6-6) in the Camellia Bowl. This will be the first meeting between the two programs, and the sports betting public seems to be favoring the Eagles, who opened as 2 ½-point favorites, although the line has opened up to 3 ½ points. Check out our NCAA football bowls betting thoughts on this postseason showdown.
NCAAF Preview: Camellia Bowl
Georgia Southern Eagles vs Buffalo Bulls
When: Tuesday, December 27, 2022, 12:00 pm ET
Where: Crampon Bowl, Montgomery, AL
TV: ESPN
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: Sling TV
NCAAF Odds: Georgia Southern -3.5 / O/U 66.5
→ Why should you bet on the Eagles?
It took a win in double overtime in Week 13 over Appalachian State for Georgia Southern to gain bowl eligibility. Appalachian State had the turnover edge (2-0) and racked up more total offense (629 yards to 487), but the Eagles eked out the 51-48 nailbiter. This allowed Georgia Southern to stop a three-game losing streak that had featured setbacks against South Alabama (38-31), Louisiana (36-17) and Marshall (23-10). Their offense still came in 30th in the nation in scoring (33.7 points per game), while the defense is generous (32.3 points permitted per game, 112th in the nation).
Quarterback Kyle Vantrease knows the Bulls well, as he was with Buffalo for five years before heading through the transfer portal to Georgia Southern. He threw for 3,895 yards on the season, with 25 touchdowns and 15 picks. He threw for 389 yards and three scores in the win over Appalachian State, but his biggest game of the season came in Week 7, when he threw for 578 yards and four scores in a 45-38 win over then-#25 James Madison. Tailback Jalen White ran for 1,132 yards, scoring 11 touchdowns and picking up 5.6 yards per carry. Wide receivers Khaleb Hood and Jeremy Singleton combined for over 1,600 receiving yards and five scores. Georgia Southern is 3-1 in their last four bowl games; most recently, they routed Louisiana Tech in the 2020 New Orleans Bowl, 38-3.
→ Why should you put your money on the Bulls?
The Bulls also needed a win in their last game to earn a bowl berth. They were supposed to play the Akron Zips in Week 12, but the game was postponed because of blizzards in upstate New York. The game was moved to December 2, and the Bulls held on for the 23-22 win. Quarterback Cole Snyder connected with Quian Williams with 1:15 left in regulation to get the game-winning score, as the Bulls also ended a three-game skid in their season finale.
Buffalo had a roller-coaster season, losing three in a row (including a 37-31 loss to FCS foe Holy Cross) before posting a five-game winning streak, hitting 34 or more points in four of those games and taking down the 2022 MAC Champions when they beat Toledo, 34-27. Their three-game skid included a 21-point loss at Ohio U., a four-point loss to Central Michigan and a three-point overtime loss to Kent State. The Bulls scored 29.0 points per game during the regular season (63rd overall) while permitting 27.2 (#74). Quarterback Cole Snyder had a 17:8 TD:INT ratio on the season, and this is the Bulls’ second Camellia Bowl berth in the last three seasons.
→ Final Score and Prediction
The Eagles have the more prolific offense, but they also play in the Sun Belt Conference, where the competition is a little less intense than the MAC. We have two teams that lost three in a row before pulling out wins in their finales, so don’t expect a lot of consistency. Expect adrenalin on offense – and not a lot of defense, as we see from the point total. I’m not putting a lot of money on this one myself, but I will predict a final score of Georgia Southern 34, Buffalo 27.
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