Georgia Southern vs. Old Dominion Prediction, CFB Week 7 Odds & Best Bets (10/15)

Fact checked at 8:45 AM ET, Oct 15, 2026

Odds as of Oct 15, 8:42 AM ET

Georgia Southern (2-4, 1-1 Sun Belt) visits Old Dominion (2-4, 1-2) on Thursday, Oct. 15, with kickoff at 7:30 PM ET at S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk on ESPN2. The Eagles are 3.5-point favorites, up from 2.5 at the open.

These offenses could hardly be built more differently. Georgia Southern runs through Max Johnson, who has thrown 224 passes for 1,572 yards and 11 touchdowns in six games, including 343 yards in last Saturday's 27-24 home loss to James Madison. Old Dominion has scored 21 or fewer in all five games against FBS opponents and won 10-3 at App State last week by running the ball 61 times in the rain. The Eagles will also be without leading rusher David Mbadinga, who is out on the Sun Belt's report, so even more of the offense falls on Johnson. Both of our picks are bets on him.

Georgia Southern vs. Old Dominion Predictions

• Pick #1: Max Johnson 230+ Passing Yards (-178)
• Pick #2: Max Johnson 2+ Passing Touchdowns (-124)

PICK #1: Max Johnson 230+ Passing Yards (-178)

Johnson has reached 230 in five of six games this season, and in four of five against FBS teams: 244, 187, 284, 233 and 343. He has thrown between 29 and 47 times in those five, and he is getting more out of each throw. His yards per attempt have risen in four straight games, from 5.2 at Clemson to 5.7 at Jacksonville State, 7.5 against Houston, 8.0 at Coastal Carolina and 9.0 against James Madison. Georgia Southern's game notes have him fifth in the FBS at 24.67 completions a game.

Old Dominion ranks third in the Sun Belt in total defense, but the teams that threw on it got their yards. Virginia Tech passed for 327 on 44 attempts, James Madison 243 on 42 and Georgia State 283 on just 24. Both low games have an explanation. East Carolina threw only 21 times while running 47, and App State finished with 66 yards on 27 attempts in a game that, per ODU's own notes, was played in rain from start to finish. The National Weather Service has Thursday night in Norfolk dry and in the upper 60s, with an east wind around 10 mph.

What could beat this is the clock. Old Dominion quarterback Quinn Henicle is questionable on the conference's initial report, and if he plays and the Monarchs grind out another 60-run game, Johnson sees fewer possessions. His one FBS miss came on 33 attempts at Jacksonville State. He is also down two receivers, Jeremiah Ware and King Phillips, with Ashton Hollins gone for the season. But Johnson threw for 233 on only 29 attempts at Coastal Carolina, so he doesn't need a huge workload to get there. The -178 price implies 64.0%. For a quarterback averaging 262 yards a game, on a dry night, with his top running back out, we'll take that number.

PICK #2: Max Johnson 2+ Passing Touchdowns (-124)

Johnson has thrown three touchdown passes in each of his last three games, against Houston, Coastal Carolina and James Madison, and Old Dominion is a good place to keep that going. Teams that score on the Monarchs mostly do it through the air: 13 touchdown passes and three rushing touchdowns allowed in five games against FBS opponents. Virginia Tech threw two, James Madison four, and Georgia State six, a school record for Cameran Brown and the Panthers. The only offenses that threw fewer than two were East Carolina, which passed 21 times all day, and App State in the rain. ODU's secondary is thin, too, with defensive back JoJo Haynes out and Daevon Iles questionable.

The worry is Weston Bryan. Georgia Southern's backup quarterback, listed as probable, ran for all three of the Eagles' touchdowns at Jacksonville State, the one FBS game in which Johnson didn't throw one, and he added a 67-yard touchdown run at Coastal Carolina. The -124 price works out to 55.4%. Johnson has thrown at least two in three of five FBS games and in each of the last three, and this defense gives up 2.6 touchdown passes a game, so we think -124 undersells him.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.