Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks Betting Pick & Prediction 12/6/24
Jacksonville State is the -4.5 point favorite as they host Western Kentucky in a week 15 matchup on Friday, December 6th, with a 7:00 ET kick-off at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville. The game can be seen on CBSS. Both teams enter the game with 8-4 records. The money line odds are -189 for Jacksonville State and +155 for Western Kentucky, with the over/under line set at 57.5 points.
WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS VS JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Jacksonville State Gamecocks -4.5
This game will be played at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium at 7:00 ET on Friday, December 6th.
WHY BET THE JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS:
- We have the Jacksonville State Gamecocks winning this one by a score of 28 to 23
- Not only do we have the Jacksonville State Gamecocks winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -4.5
- We see this game finishing below the line of 57.5 points
Will The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
Western Kentucky heads into Week 15 with an 8-4 record, ranked 93rd in our power rankings. They have a 100% chance of being bowl-eligible and a 35.7% chance of winning the Conference USA title. The Hilltoppers are 3-1 at home and 3-3 on the road this season.
Against the spread, Western Kentucky is 6-4, with a +4.5 average scoring margin. They’ve been favored in four games, going 2-2 ATS as the favorite and 4-2 as the underdog.
Their over/under record stands at 5-5, with an average line of 55.7 points. This week’s line is set at 57.5 points, with seven games featuring higher totals and five games with more points than this week’s line.
Western Kentucky’s offense has been driven by their passing game, ranking 20th in the nation with 271.8 yards per game. They are 26th in completions, averaging 22.2 per game, and 33rd in passing attempts. Their quarterback, Caden Veltkamp, has thrown for 2,665 yards with a 67.2% completion rate, leading to 22 touchdowns. He has also thrown 10 interceptions and holds a passer rating of 102.
Overall, Western Kentucky is averaging 26.7 points per game, placing them 58th nationally, and they are ranked 70th in our offensive power rankings. On third downs, they convert 42.3% of their attempts. Their run game has struggled, averaging just 120.8 yards per game. Elijah Young leads the team with 738 rushing yards. Kisean Johnson has 830 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Western Kentucky’s defense has allowed 22.2 points per game this season, ranking 33rd nationally. In their recent game, they gave up 17 points but allowed 229 rushing yards on 43 attempts. However, they held Jacksonville State to just 99 passing yards and forced an interception.
Opponents have averaged 210.7 rushing yards per game against Western Kentucky, while the secondary has allowed 175.5 passing yards per game, the 21st-lowest in the country. Quarterbacks have completed 59.1% of their passes with a passer rating of 82.6 against the Hilltoppers.
Are The Jacksonville State Gamecocks Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
Jacksonville State enters Week 15 with an 8-4 record, holding a 5-1 mark at home. They are projected to be bowl-eligible and have a 64.3% chance of winning Conference USA. The Gamecocks have been favored in seven games this season, going 5-2 as the favorite.
Jacksonville State’s ATS record stands at 5-4, with a 4-2 mark at home. They’ve covered the spread in four of seven games as the favorite, and their average scoring margin this season is +8.4 points per game.
The over/under line for this week is 57.5 points. Jacksonville State’s average over/under line is 58.7 points, and their games have averaged 62.4 points, with a 4-5 record against the over/under.
Jacksonville State’s offense has been dominant on the ground, ranking 2nd in the nation with 260.3 rushing yards per game, and they are 3rd in rushing attempts, averaging 45.6 per game. Tre Stewart has been the focal point, rushing for 1,400 yards and scoring 20 touchdowns while averaging 5 yards per carry. The Gamecocks are 17th in scoring, putting up 35.4 points per game, and we have them ranked 56th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 15.
Quarterback Tyler Huff has thrown for 2,003 yards with a passer rating of 90, and he has 11 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. Jacksonville State is 103rd in passing attempts, averaging 22 per game, and 114th in passing yards, with 177.2 per game. Cam Vaughn leads the receiving corps with 529 yards and three touchdowns.
Jacksonville State’s defense allowed 19 points in their recent game against Western Kentucky, giving up 426 total yards, including 321 passing yards. They also allowed 23 first downs but held Western Kentucky to 105 rushing yards on 35 attempts.
On average, Jacksonville State’s defense has allowed 27 points per game this season. Opponents have averaged 221.7 passing yards per game and 178.6 rushing yards. Quarterbacks have completed 58.4% of their passes against Jacksonville State’s defense.