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The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are set to face the UTSA Roadrunners this weekend. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our college football odds series, which includes our Western Kentucky-UTSA prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here’s the Western Kentucky-UTSA odds:
College Football odds: Western Kentucky-UTSA Odds
Western Kentucky: -2.5 (-120)
UTSA: +2.5 (-102)
Over: 72.5 (-110)
Under: 72.5 (-110)
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Why Western Kentucky Could Cover the Spread
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have rattled off seven straight wins heading into the Conference USA Championship on Friday. The offense has been on a roll during this win streak, scoring 34 or more points and 50+ in back-to-back games. Western Kentucky defeated Marshall 53-21 last weekend on the road. The Hilltoppers were down 14-6 at halftime with just two field goals. The offense must have gotten quite the talk at halftime, as Western Kentucky came out and scored 47 points in the second half. The defense and special teams had two touchdowns as quarterback Baily Zappe threw four touchdowns in the second-half route. The Hilltoppers are 7-1 in conference play with an 8-4 overall record.
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Western Kentucky's offense is 2nd overall in yards per game (519.5) and 4th in points per game (41.8). They lead the nation in passing yards per game (417.1). Defensively, the Hilltoppers give up 27.5 points on 412.7 yards per game to opponents. The high total in this game indicates that it will be a shootout between both teams, as UTSA just gave up 45 points in their latest loss to North Texas. The Hilltoppers are 5-0 against the spread in their last five overall and 4-0 against the spread in their last four after an against the spread win.
Why UTSA Could Cover the Spread
The UTSA Roadrunners suffered their first loss of the season last week to North Texas, 45-23. Before then, the Roadrunners were 11-0 and first in the Conference USA – West. The Roadrunners were held to 16 first downs and gave up three fumbles in the loss. The defense allowed North Texas to accumulate 456 total yards and six touchdowns. UTSA ranks 16th in points per game (35.4) and 31st in yards per game (434.5). Quarterback Frank Harris leads the team with 2,688 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. Running back, Sincere McCormick has 1,275 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. The offense has scored 23 or more points in every game this season.
Defensively, UTSA has had two shutouts this season against Lamar and Rice colleges. The defense allows 24.2 points and 366.8 yards per game to opponents. They rank 30th in the nation in sack percentage (8.17%), so applying pressure to the quarterback will be crucial to the Roadrunners success on Friday. The Roadrunners beat Western Kentucky 52-46 earlier this year. In fact, UTSA is the last team to hand the Hilltoppers a loss. UTSA is 10-4 against the spread in their previous 14 games overall.
Final Western Kentucky – UTSA Prediction & Pick
This game will be a rematch between both teams this season. When these teams faced off against each other in October, there were over 97 points and 1,000 yards combined. This game will be a similar result as both defenses are leaky and both offenses can score in bunches. I am going to side with the Hilltoppers to get revenge and win the conference championship. Betting the Moneyline is not a bad play, however I think Western Kentucky will win by at least a field goal.
Final Pick: Western Kentucky -2.5 (-120)
