The University of Buffalo looks to extend its bowl-game winning streak to three but will have to do so as underdogs in the odds to Georgia Southern at the 2022 Camelia Bowl.
It’s the Bulls’ fourth bowl game in the past five seasons, and it marks just the third time in history that both of New York’s FBS college football programs (Syracuse being the other) made a bowl game in the same season. The Orange play Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium next week.
Both Buffalo and Georgia Southern Became Bowl-Eligible in Their Final Game
Leading up to next Tuesday’s meeting between the Buffalo Bulls and the Georgia Southern Eagles in Montgomery, Alabama, both teams had to win their final game of the regular season to finish at 6-6 and become bowl eligible.
The Bulls did so by edging Akron 23-22 on a touchdown from Cole Snyder to Quian Williams on a dramatic fourth-down play with 1:15 left in their game three weeks ago.
Georgia Southern had a daunting task to become bowl eligible: win at home over favored Appalachian State. The Eagles were seven-point underdogs going into that matchup.
The two teams traded scores all game, and it ended up going into overtime. After each team scored a touchdown in the first extra session, App State had to settle for a field goal in the second OT. The Eagles responded with a 25-yard touchdown strike from Kyle Vantrease to Ezrah Archie for the 51-48 win.
Both clubs last played in a bowl game after the 2020 season. Georgia State defeated Louisiana Tech 38-3 in the New Orleans Bowl, while UB topped Marshall 17-10 in the 2020 Camelia Bowl. The Eagles are also making their second appearance in this game. They defeated Eastern Michigan 23-21 in 2018.
Buffalo’s Offense Against Georgia State’s Defense Will Be Key in Camelia Bowl
The Eagles’ offense and defense lies at both ends of the spectrum. On offense, they are 16th in FBS with a yards-per-game average of 469. On defense, however, they rank 130th by allowing 496 yards per contest.
Buffalo’s offense isn’t nearly as prolific, gaining just 376 per contest. The Bulls are also 114th in FBS in yards per play with 4.6.
Georgia State’s offense will also have some extra motivation because quarterback Vantrease is a Buffalo transfer and is finishing up his first season with the Eagles.
Camelia Bowl Odds: Georgia State vs. Buffalo
Here are the odds for this game, courtesy of BetMGM.
Team | Total (O/U) | Over-Under Total | Moneyline |
Georgia Southern Eagles | -3.5 (-110) | 66.5 (-110) | -165 |
Buffalo Bulls | +3.5 (-110) | 66.5 (-110) | +135 |
The Eagles were betting favorites just two times this year, but they covered on both occasions. Meanwhile, Buffalo failed to cover in each of their last four games.
The Bulls are also severely hampered in the running game with Al-Jay Henderson and Ron Cook both being unavailable. The Eagles allowed 240 yards per game on the ground this year, so this news is good for Georgia State’s hopes.
Georgia State was 6-6 against the spread, whereas Buffalo was 7-5 in favor of the over. The total for this game is quite high, so we’re passing on a totals play despite leaning under. But the Eagles appear to have too much firepower here, and we’re going to favor them to win and cover.
Prediction: Georgia State 35, Buffalo 27