Arizona Bowl Picks & Odds: Wyoming Favored By 7 Points Over Georgia State

• Georgia State (7-5) and Wyoming (7-5) meet in the Arizona Bowl
• Wyoming QB Tyler Vander Waal has entered the transfer portal but is expected to play in this game
• The Panthers have allowed 211 rushing yards per game which is good news for Cowboys star RB Xazavian Valladay

The Arizona Bowl features two programs searching for their eighth win of the season, as Georgia State and Wyoming make the trip to the desert.

Arizona Bowl Odds

Odds taken Dec. 20.

The Wyoming vs Georgia State odds show the Cowboys are favored by 7 points. The records of these two teams may be the same but when you dive in to the stats and storylines it’s easy to become comfortably with Wyoming covering the number in this game.

Georgia State Run Defense a Glaring Weakness

Georgia State puts up more yards on offense but they also give up way more on defense. The discrepancy on the defensive side of the ball comes in the run game, where the Panthers allow an astonishingly high 211 yards per game on the ground. That doesn’t bode well when you take a look at the Cowboys roster and see Xazavian Valladay listed on the depth chart.

The Panthers have begun preparations for their 🎳 trip to the 🏜️:
GSU vs. Wyoming, Dec. 31 in the @novaAZBOWL.

➡️ https://t.co/YnYQaEN5bu
#OurCity | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/nQBH22PIeB

— GSU Football (@GeorgiaStateFB) December 10, 2019

Valladay ran for 1,061 yards and will definitely pose a problem for the Panthers in this game. Quarterback Sean Chambers, who ran for 567 yards, is out but his two replacements are also capable of running the ball when needed and are more than capable of taking advantage of the gaping holes left by the Georgia State front 7.

Expect Tyler Vander Waal to Showcase Skills

Wyoming has seen a revolving door at the quarterback position since Josh Allen took his talents to the NFL. As mentioned Chambers is out for the year, so Levi Williams and Tyler Vander Waal are expected to split snaps in this one. Vander Waal in particular is a player to keep an eye on. He entered the transfer portal due to losing the starting job but has a lot to gain by putting up a strong performance in this one. Many scouts and coaches from other programs will be keeping an eye on him, so I wouldn’t expect him to mail this in.

https://twitter.com/TVDub_/status/1207124794770100224

Vander Waal is currently ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 94th best quarterback in the country which is cause for pause, but it’s also cause for taking advantage of the fact he will be highly motivated to rack up points against the Georgia State defense. He’s 6’4 and 214 lbs so size isn’t an issue, he just needs to prove he has the arm capable of helping a different program.

Both Teams Were Solid ATS

This game should be low scoring and both teams have a track record of outproducing the oddsmakers expectations. Wyoming went 7-5 and was actually 7-5 against the spread as well, while Georgia State finished the year 6-4-2 ATS. For my money in this one, the Panthers inability to stop the run will be the difference. Get ready for Valladay to make his mark and on any drives he isn’t gaining traction, keep an eye on Vander Waal to impress the scouts and earn an offer from another program.

PICK: Wyoming -7 (-110)