Arkansas State hosts Georgia State in Thursday night NCAA football action

The Arkansas State Red Wolves thought they might be able to go toe- to-toe with the best in the Sun Belt Conference, but they found put otherwise when they took it on it the chin against Appalachian State last week. What really stung was the fact that it was the 1000th game in the program's history, so there was no cause for celebration. Now they have a chance for at least partial redemption, as they play host to the Georgia State Panthers in a game that will kick off at 7:30 PM ET at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, AR. While ESPNU televises it, BetAnySports customers will have the opportunity to place wagers in real-time as they utilize the state-of-the-art software from Live Betting Ultra.

Over the course of their tenure in the Sun Belt, Arkansas state has probably been the most consistent team. And they have made seven straight bowl appearances; even with the inflated number of post-season "classics" open and available, that is still impressive.

Jonesboro had become known as a stop-off point for coaches on their way to somewhere else. If you are familiar with the "one and done" phenomenon in college basketball, well, that's the way it's been for coaches like Gus Malzahn, Hugh Freeze and Brian Harsin, each of whom has spent the year at ASU before moving on to someplace "bigger."

There's not so much tradition at Georgia State, although we would say that it's pretty nice is that the program now occupies the stadium formerly known as Turner Field (which used to be the home of the Atlanta Braves). Their last game also took place on ESPNU, and they lost 37-20 to Troy. Football bettors will have the opportunity to see a receiver who may one day be catching passes and returning kicks in the NFL, and he is the principal weapon the Panthers have.

In the Thursday night college football odds posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, Arkansas State is favored by more than two touchdowns:

Arkansas State Red Wolves -14.5
Georgia State Panthers +14.5

Over 56.5 points -110
Under 56.5 points -110

Penny Hart is someone Georgia State is going to have to unleash, and if that happens, Arkansas State is going to have to contend with him. Hart leads all active receivers in FBS (Division I) college football with a career average of 81.7 receiving yards per game. Last year he was sensational, which 74 receptions and 1121 yards, and this year he is close to that pace, with 30 catches. A few weeks ago, Georgia State routed Louisiana-Monroe 46-14, and Hart returned a punt for touchdown - the first time that has happened in school history.

Georgia State's defense will have to be on the lookout for the connection between quarterback Justice Hansen and receiver Kurt Merritt. They have hooked up 20 times in the last two games, and currently Hansen is the Sun Belt Conference leader in passing yards, averaging 256.3 per game. The problem with the Red Wolves is on defense, where they are absolutely not getting the push they used to from their defensive line, and that was a problem against Appalachian State last Tuesday, as they were beaten 35-9 at Centennial Bank Stadium. There stop unit has allowed 5.7 yards per rushing attempt, but the question is whether Georgia State has what it takes to exploit it. Quarterback Dan Ellington, a junior college transfer who beat out a couple of contenders for the job in fall practice, is 63% accurate, but he also leads the team in rushing with 270 yards. What can the Panthers get from their running backs?

Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson, unlike his predecessors, has hung around for a while. He is currently in his fifth season, but his team has not been covering numbers lately, going 2-9 ATS over the last 11 games. We would not necessarily call Georgia State a team on the rise, but they are not without some virtues, and we don't have enough confidence in the Red Wolves' defense to make a recommendation on the home team here.

Remember that if you are signed up with BetAnySports, not only you get nice bonuses, but reduced juice, which delivers better odds, and Live Betting Ultra, which keeps you in the action throughout the game…… There are numerous payment options available, including your Visa card, person-to-person transfers (like Western Union) and the virtual currency of Bitcoin, which is fast and easy with their automated system, and NEVER incurs a transaction fee!

(The preceding information has been furnished for news matter only)