New Orleans Bowl Odds, Lines and Spread – Georgia Southern vs Louisiana Tech

• Georgia Southern is a 5.5-point favorite over Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl on Wednesday (Dec. 23, 3 pm EST)
• The Bulldogs have won six straight Bowl Games dating back to 2014
• See below for analysis, odds and a betting prediction

Bowl season is in full swing, meaning there’s afternoon football every day this week. The first game on Wednesday’s schedule features Georgia Southern and Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl, from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

New Orleans Bowl LA Tech vs Georgia Southern Odds

Odds taken Dec. 21st at FanDuel.

The Eagles are currently a 5.5-point favorite, in a game that features a modest total of 48.5. Both teams enter play with major concerns at the quarterback position. Georgia Southern’s starter is questionable, while the Bulldogs will be forced to roll with their backup.

Bulldogs’ Offense Lacks Bite

Louisiana Tech has won six straight Bowl Games dating back to 2014, the longest streak in the FBS. Sophomore Aaron Allen will now be tasked with extending that improbable run, after starting QB Luke Anthony went down late in the Bulldogs’ last game.

Two days away… pic.twitter.com/zxsTHHOHcB

— LA Tech Football 🏈 (@LATechFB) December 21, 2020

Allen’s 2020 stats are not pretty to say the least, as he’s averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt in limited duty. He’s thrown more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (5), and isn’t much of a threat with his legs.

The Bulldogs were Conference USA’s third worst offense in 2020, averaging just 325.1 yards per game. The strength of Georgia Southern is on defense, as they limited opposing teams to only 22.3 points per outing.

Ideally, LA Tech would rely on its running game to take some of the pressure off Allen, but that aspect of their offense has been stuck in the mud all season. They average just 97.7 rushing yards per game and a measly 2.8 yards per carry, while the Eagles limited enemy backfields to 3.9 yards per rush this season.

Eagles’ Outlook Depends on Werts

Georgia Southern starting QB Shai Werts meanwhile, is listed questionable after missing the team’s final two games of the regular season. Head coach Chad Lunsford is optimistic the Senior can start against the Bulldogs, but it would be a huge blow if he couldn’t.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN! Incredible play by Shai Werts pic.twitter.com/0mayGyz4KZ

— Max Olson (@max_olson) September 26, 2020

Werts threw for only 7 TD this season, but is the team’s leading rusher and touchdown scorer. He hit paydirt eight times on the ground, and averages 4.9 yards per carry. The Eagles rushed the ball more than any other team in the Sun Belt in 2020, averaging a conference best 262.4 rushing yards per contest.

The matchup versus LA Tech isn’t an imposing one, as the Bulldogs surrendered 34.3 points per game in 2020, and allowed 184.6 rushing yards, and 2.4 rushing TD per outing.

If Werts is unable to play, third-string QB Miller Mosley will get the nod, after back-up Justin Tomlin underwent ankle surgery. Mosley completed just 40% of his throws this season, and averaged 3.8 yards per carry on the ground.

Scoring Will Be At a Premium

No matter who starts for Georgia Southern, offense will likely be tough to come by for both teams. The Eagles only exceeded 27 points three times in 12 games this season, while the Bulldogs were one of the least productive offenses in Conference USA. Now throw a backup QB into the mix, and the LA Tech outlook isn’t pretty.

As a result, I lean Under in this matchup and the majority of bettors tend to agree. 59% of the money is currently on the Under, which explains why the juice is shaded towards that side at online sportsbooks. If you agree act now, because it looks like 48.5 might not last long.

Pick: Under 48.5 (-114)