Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (15) Betting Picks and Predictions

The 6-1 Appalachian State Mountaineers will go on the road Saturday to face off with the 7-0 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at 12:00 PM ET in Brooks Stadium. You can tune into the rivalry matchup on ESPN2. The undefeated Chanticleers come in as six-point home favorites and we’re expecting both defenses to show up with a 48.5 over/under. The Chanticleers are the team with more national hype, but this is a massive game and the Mountaineers are typically the squad with more national attention. Let’s dive into how this game will go down and who will end up covering the spread. Make sure to check out the rest of my CFB Picks and Predictions for this weekend slate of games.

• Mountaineers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog.
• Chanticleers are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 home games.
• Under is 4-0 in Mountaineers last 4 games overall.
• Under is 4-0 in Chanticleers last 4 games overall.

The Mountaineers are typically the team from this conference that draws national attention and you know these players must hate that attention going elsewhere. They’re still 6-1 on the season with their only loss coming to the undefeated and now 15th-ranked Marshall Thundering Herd. This Mountaineers team has averaged 32 points per game and have allowed just over 20. They’re an all-around tough team and the Chanticleers will likely have their toughest test yet in this rivalry matchup.

Appalachian State loves to run the ball and they’ve done it nearly 75% of the time in 2020. It doesn’t hurt to have a lead as they do in just about every game, but they will still stick to the run if CCU grabs an early lead. It’s a three-headed backfield with Daetrich Harrington leading the way. He’s carried it 106 times for 595 yards and seven touchdowns. Camerun Peoples and Marcus Williams Jr. have gotten about half as many carries, but both have averaged over five yards per carry and are excellent complementary pieces.

QB Zac Thomas can run it too with 275 yards and two scores on the ground. He only runs when a play breaks down or when a defense is over-commiting to the RB. He’s completed 66% of his passes on the season for 1,25 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions. If he can take care of the ball, it’s exactly what App State is looking for. Thomas Hennigan and Malik Williams are his two favorite targets and the pair has 22 and 25 targets. Christian Wells is the only other pass-catcher with double-digit receptions (12) and he leads the team with three touchdowns.

It’s been a perfect season to this point for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and they’ve only been tested once. It was against Louisiana-Lafayette and they responded to being pulled into the deep waters with a 30-27 win. The Chanticleers are averaging 37.9 points per game and allowing half of that. They can beat you multiple ways on offense and the defense is stalwart. Let’s dive into how they want to attack an Appalachian State team that’s just as talented.

The Chanticleers run a similar backfield with three running backs and the QB all getting substantial carries. Senior RB C.J. Marable is considered the best halfback in the conference and he’s piled up 379 yards and five touchdowns in just under 100 carries. He’s joined by Shermari Jones (268 yards, 3 TD) and Reese White (309 yards, 3 TD), who have been just as effective on a per-carry basis. The Chanticleers best chance always comes with the run game.

It doesn’t mean QB Grayson McCall can’t sling it, because he certainly can. The freshman gunslinger is up to 1,393 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season with just a single interception. He’s also rushed it for 271 yards and four scores. McCall will be tested in this game, however, and it remains to be seen how he will play against a solid defense that has a full season of tape on him. Jaivion Heiligh is the best WR on CCU and he’s caught 35 balls for 610 yards and six touchdowns. Marable has also caught 20 balls out of the backfield, but Heiligh is the number one option on every passing down.

These teams are as even as it gets. They’re both extremely well-coached and neither of these squads will beat themselves. It’s typically the Mountaineers that are getting all the attention and the Chanticleers the team looking to stomp them out. It’s the other way around this season and I expect the Mountaineers to come out with something to prove. They’re the more experienced team and I trust them more when it comes down to a competitive ballgame. The Chanticleers are great, but they haven’t been tested by as tough of a team. The Mountaineers faced Marshall earlier this season, who is better than both of these squads. Give me the points here as I really think these teams are as even as they come. This one is a toss-up.

Both of these teams play a ton of defense and you can’t forget that this is a rivalry game. These teams know each other better than anyone else in the country and you won’t see the same confusion surrounding the schemes on either side of the ball. They’re simply used to seeing it in practice and this is the biggest game for both teams every season. Us from around the area have no idea, but this is a massive rivalry and you’ll see that if you tune in. I like both defenses to step up here and for this to turn into a low-scoring affair.