Cure Bowl Picks & Odds: Liberty 4.5-Point Underdogs Against Georgia Southern

• Liberty (7-5) and Georgia Southern (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt) meet in the Cure Bowl December 21st
• Liberty won 7 games in their first full season as an FBS school
• Georgia Southern finished 2nd in the Sun Belt East with a 5-3 record

Huge Freeze and the Liberty Flames (7-5 IND) will meet Chad Lundsford’s Georgia Southern Eagles (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt) in the Cure Bowl on December 21st in Orlando, Florida.

2019 Cure Bowl Odds: Liberty vs Georgia Southern

*odds taken Dec. 13th

It’s hard not to cheer for Freeze and the Flames. He provided us with some of the best material of the college football season by coaching the first three games from a hospital bed and then a dental-exam chair. Many coaches would have simply missed the game due to the back problems but he found a way to, not only keep on coaching, but lead Liberty to its first bowl game.

Here's Hugh Freeze coaching from his hospital bed pic.twitter.com/SSURR2KErM

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) August 31, 2019

I’m picking the Flames to win this game and not because Freeze is such a likable guy.

Freeze Earned New Contract Extension

Freeze’s new contract extension was announced this week after rumors he could be in the running for the top job at other programs. In the end, he signed a 5-year deal to remain at Liberty which will pay him $2 million per year and give him large bonuses if he reaches certain win-based objectives.

The reason for the pricey extension? Freeze earned it by being one hell of a ball coach.

Win the morning = Win the day!!! Get the mind right and be grateful for something or someone today. And take the time to be kind!! Have a great day.

— Hugh Freeze (@CoachHughFreeze) December 12, 2019

The former Ole Miss coach led Liberty to seven wins, which they needed to become bowl eligible thanks to the two FCS teams the Flames had on their schedule. He led Liberty to a season-defining win over Buffalo, which opens the bowl season in the Bahamas Bowl.

The Flames are only the fifth team in history to receive a bowl invitation in their first season of bowl eligibility at the FBS level. Coaching from a sick bed or on the sidelines, it’s easy to see why Freeze was a home-run hire for Liberty.

Liberty WR Antonio Gandy-Golden Has NFL Future

One reason Freeze was able to rack up those seven wins was his dominant wide receiver, Antonio Gandy-Golden. The 6’4, 220-pound senior was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award which is given to the best wide receiver in college football. He didn’t take home the honor but for a player from little-seen Liberty to earn that kind of recognition, it goes to show just how talented a prospect he is.

Antonio Gandy-Golden ?

He's not playing around.

(@gandygolden11) pic.twitter.com/cuYjGbKWQJ

— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) December 14, 2019

Gandy-Golden finished the season with 1,333 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Considering Georgia Southern runs the option and elects to keep the ball on the ground almost always, he is certainly the most electric deep threat you’ll watch in this game.

As a fan of college football or a sit-at-home-on-your-couch NFL scout keeping an eye on next-level talent, he’s more than deserving of your attention.

Consider Betting Flames on the Moneyline

The Liberty vs Georgia Southern odds show the Flames are 4.5-point underdogs and that’s giving you a great opportunity. Liberty was 6-6 against the spread this year and Georgia Southern finished 5-7 ATS. I am confident enough in Liberty to take them on the moneyline but if you’re more conservative, the 4.5 points are a nice cushion.

The Eagles have bowl wins the past two years, but that run stops thanks to Freeze and the Flames throwing the ball all over the lot against the Eagles’ suspect secondary.

Pick: Liberty moneyline (+170)