Georgia State Panthers Picks for Week 7 in Doc's Specialization Series

The 2019 campaign has already been a roller-coaster ride for the Georgia State Panthers. They knocked off SEC representative Tennessee in the opening week and followed that up with a win over fellow respected mid-major program Furman, suffered consecutive losses (in blowout fashion to Western Michigan and in triple overtime against Texas State), and then rebounded to beat Arkansas State this past weekend. The postseason remains on the mind of Georgia State, which went bowling in 2015 and 2017-even winning a bowl game in its most recent appearance-before going 2-10 last year while managing to beat only Kennesaw State and Louisiana-Monroe.

Year 2 under head coach Shawn Elliot, during which eight of their 10 losses came by double-digits, was underwhelming at best for the Panthers. The third time around looks like it will be marked by inconsistency, but it is also laying the framework for massive improvement both now and in the future. As for the "now," Elliot's crew looks to continue its push for a bowl berth when it visits Coastal Carolina on Saturday . And with that we continue to track the Panthers' 2019 campaign. There will be a selection on each game at the end of the weekly article, and we'll be using the Doc's Sports Unit Betting System for every pick, which will allow readers to follow along and document the results.

Last Game

Georgia State rebounded from losses to Western Michigan and Texas State by beating Arkansas State 52-38 last weekend. Senior quarterback Dan Ellington completed 29 of 41 passes for 382 yards and one touchdown without throwing an interception. He also kept it 19 times for 69 rushing yards and an additional score. As a team, the Panthers racked up an awesome 340 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 58 carries. Tra Barnett ran for 139 yards, while Destin Coates scored three times on the ground. Receivers Sam Pinckney (nine catches, 120 yards, one TD) and Cornelius McCoy (eight catches, 107 yards) helped Ellington have his big day. Considering that the game was played at a breakneck speed (GSU finished with an absurd 722 yards of total offense), the 421 yards to which Georgia State limited Arkansas State was a relatively modest total. The Panthers recorded three sacks and six tackles for loss while forcing two turnovers-interceptions by Trajan Stephens-McQueen and Tyler Gore. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter before holding off a late charge that brought the Red Wolves to within three points early in the fourth.

Betting Trends

• Georgia State is 2-0-2 ATS in its last four games after gaining more than 450 yards in its previous game
• Georgia State is 11-3-1 ATS in its last 15 October games
• Coastal Carolina is 1-5 ATS in its last six home games
• Coastal Carolina is 0-5 ATS in its last five games against the Sun Belt Conference
• Coastal Carolina is 1-5 ATS in its last six games against teams with winning records

Georgia State at Texas State College Football Odds

Georgia State opened as a +6.5 underdog at most sportsbooks and it has been bet down to +5.5 across the board . The total has been on a far more rapid descent since opening at 68. It is all the way down to 64 after going as low as 63.5. Those line changes suggest that optimism surrounding the offenses-especially Coastal Carolina's-is wavering a bit.

Georgia State at Texas State College Football Picks

GSU'S offense is averaging 36.4 points per game, which ranks third overall in the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers are second in the conference in total offense at 479.8 yards per contest. Ellington, who earned Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday, is 104-for-161 with 1,228 yards, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions. He is also second on the team in rushing with 313 yards to go along with a pair of TDs. Barnett has racked up 468 rushing yards and three scores on 75 carries. McCoy (29 catches, 372 yards, three TDs) and Pinckney (25 catches, 312 yards, three TDs) provide for a well-rounded and dynamic offense. Georgia State has been a well-oiled machine on offense throughout the first half of the season, and its defense has gained confidence over the last two weeks.

Coastal Carolina had won three games in a row before falling at Appalachian State 56-37 on Oct. 28. That leaves the Chanticleers at 3-2 on the season, with an opening defeat at the hands of Eastern Michigan followed by victories over Kansas, Norfolk State, and Massachusetts. Now in their third year as members of the Sun Belt Conference, the Chants are 4-13 overall in conference play (2-6 in each of their first two seasons). Dating back to the 2018 campaign, Coastal has lost five straight SBC contests.

Pick - Georgia State +5.5 for 4 units

Doc's Sports is offering a great deal for new clients - you can get $60 worth of free college football picks with no obligation. No credit card is needed, and you will never have to deal with a salesman. Get $60 worth of premium members' picks free . Also, get three handicappers for the price of one when you sign up for a full-season football package! Click Here for details . Get free weekly free college football picks at Doc's Sports free football picks page.

Read more articles by Ricky Dimon