Appalachian State vs. South Alabama Prediction and Odds: College Football 2024 Week 4 Picks by Advanced Model

The Sun Belt Conference season begins Thursday when the South Alabama Jaguars face the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Both teams are coming off impressive but very different wins in Week 3. South Alabama beat FCS' Northwestern State 87-10 while Appalachian State defeated East Carolina 21-19 on the road. The Jaguars (1-2), who finished 7-6 overall in 2023, are tied for second in the Sun Belt West with Texas State and Arkansas State at 4-4, three games behind Troy. The Mountaineers (2-1), who finished second in the Sun Belt East behind James Madison at 6-2, had a 9-5 overall record a year ago.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, NC. The Mountaineers are a 7.5-point favorite in the latest South Alabama vs. Appalachian State odds, according to SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points is set at 62.5. Before you make your Appalachian State vs. South Alabama picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its launch, it has returned over $2,000 on $100 bettors with its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also has a profitable season going 13-9 on top-rated spread picks and started this season 5-2 on over/under picks. Everyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.

The model has focused on South Alabama vs. Appalachian State. You can head over to SportsLine to check out the picks. Here are several college football betting odds for the spread, money line and over/under for the game:

• Spread between South Alabama and Appalachian State: Appalachian State -7.5
• South Alabama vs. Appalachian State over/under: 62.5 points
• South Alabama vs. Appalachian State moneyline: Appalachian State -279, South Alabama +221
• SA: The Jaguars have exceeded the total points in eight of their last 13 games (+2.50 units)
• APS: The Mountaineers have underperformed the total in nine of their last 14 games (+3.50 units)
• South Alabama vs. Appalachian State picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why you should support Appalachian State

Junior running back Anderson Castle has become a dual threat on offense. He is the Mountaineers' leading runner with 148 yards on 33 carries (4.5 avg.) and one touchdown. Castle is also the team's fifth-leading receiver with eight passes caught for 52 yards (6.5 avg.). In parts of five seasons at Appalachian State, he has completed 176 carries for 938 yards (5.3 avg.) and eight touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Joey Aguilar leads the offense. In three games this season, he has completed 72 of 124 passes (58.1%) for 964 yards and five touchdowns. He has two interceptions but a 133.4 rating. He has also carried a pass 15 times, for 44 yards (2.9 avg.) and two touchdowns. In two seasons with the Mountaineers, he has thrown for 4,721 yards and 38 TDs with just 12 interceptions for a 147.8 rating. See which team to choose here.

Why you should support South Alabama

Freshman Fluff Bothwell is off to a solid start to his college career. In three games, he has carried the ball just 23 times for 243 yards (10.6 yards avg.) and four touchdowns. In last Thursday's win over Northwestern State, he carried the ball seven times for 143 yards (20.4 yards avg.) and two touchdowns. In the 27-20 loss at Ohio State on Sept. 7, he had 10 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Jaguars have been led by sophomore linebacker Blayne Myrick. He has recorded 25 tackles, including nine solo, with a forced fumble and a pass defense. In the loss to Ohio, he made 10 stops, including six solo, and forced a fumble. In his limited playing time over the past two seasons, Myrick has recorded 32 stops, including 15 solo, with a forced fumble and a pass defense. See which team to pick here.

How to make your picks for South Alabama vs. Appalachian State

SportsLine's model is overall biased too wide. It also says one side of the range will hit in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.

So who will win the South Alabama vs. Appalachian State game and which side of the spread will win in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the South Alabama vs. Appalachian State spread you should jump on with the advanced model that's gained over $2,000 on its FBS college football picks since its inception and find out.