Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Sam Houston Bearkats Betting Pick & Prediction 10/16/24
Sam Houston is the slight -3 point favorite as they host Western Kentucky in this week eight matchup on Wednesday, October 16th, with a 7:00 ET kick-off at Elliot T. Bowers Stadium in Huntsville. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Hilltoppers come in with a 4-2 record, while the Bearkats are 5-1 on the season. The over/under line is currently set at 55.5 points.
WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS VS SAM HOUSTON BEARKATS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Sam Houston Bearkats -3
This game will be played at Elliot T. Bowers Stadium at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, October 16th.
WHY BET THE SAM HOUSTON BEARKATS:
- We have the Sam Houston Bearkats winning this one by a score of 28 to 21
- Not only do we have the Sam Houston Bearkats winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -3
- We see this game finishing below the line of 55.5 points
Will The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Pick Up A Win On The Road?
Western Kentucky enters Week 8 with a 4-2 record, ranked 92nd in our CFB power rankings. They have a 98.5% chance of becoming bowl-eligible and a 21% shot at winning Conference USA. The Hilltoppers are 2-0 at home and 1-2 on the road this season.
Against the spread, Western Kentucky is 4-1, with a +4.5 average scoring margin. They are 2-0 ATS at home and 2-1 on the road, covering both times as the favorite.
Their over/under record is 3-2, with an average line of 55.8 points. This week’s total is set at 55.5 points, while their games have averaged 52.2 points per contest.
Western Kentucky’s offense is averaging 28.3 points per game, placing them 49th nationally. They are ranked 79th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8. Quarterback Caden Veltkamp has thrown for 1,147 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 107.
The Hilltoppers are 24th in passing attempts per game, averaging 35.3, and 17th in completions, with 23.8 per game. They are 29th in passing yards, averaging 278.8 yards per game, and have a 67.5% completion rate. On the ground, they are 102nd in rushing, averaging 122.7 yards per game. Elijah Young leads the team with 278 rushing yards.
Western Kentucky’s defense put together a solid performance in their recent 44-17 win over UTEP, allowing just 17 points. They held UTEP to 330 total yards, including 152 rushing yards on 41 attempts and 178 yards through the air, while also forcing an interception.
On the season, the Hilltoppers are giving up 23.8 points per game. Opponents are averaging 165.8 rushing yards per game and 224 passing yards, completing 62.4% of their throws.
Will The Sam Houston Bearkats Win At Home Over The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers?
Sam Houston enters Week 8 with a 5-1 record, ranked 87th in our CFB power rankings. They have a 99.9% chance of becoming bowl-eligible and a 27.5% shot at winning Conference USA. At home, they are 3-0, while their road record stands at 2-1.
The Bearkats have gone 5-1 against the spread this season, with an average scoring margin of +8 points per game. They are 3-0 ATS at home and have covered in all three games as the favorite.
This week’s over/under line is set at 55.5 points. Sam Houston’s games have averaged 55.7 points, with their over/under record at 3-3. Their average line has been 50.3 points, and they’ve exceeded it by an average of 5.3 points.
Sam Houston’s offense is averaging 31.8 points per game heading into week 8, placing them 34th in the nation. They are ranked 73rd in our offensive power rankings. The Bearkats have focused on their ground game, ranking 5th in rushing attempts with 46.3 per game and 14th in rushing yards, averaging 231.3 yards per game.
Jay Ducker leads the rushing attack with 348 yards, five touchdowns, and an average of 5 yards per carry. Quarterback Hunter Watson has thrown for 859 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 80. Qua’Vez Humphreys leads the receivers with 281 yards and four touchdowns.
Sam Houston’s defense has been solid this season, allowing 23.8 points per game, which ranks 44th nationally. They’ve given up 208.8 passing yards per game and 129.2 rushing yards on average. Opposing quarterbacks have a 76.3 passer rating against Sam Houston, completing 61.4% of their throws.
In their recent game against UTEP, Sam Houston’s defense allowed 21 points but didn’t give up a rushing touchdown. UTEP ran the ball 41 times for 152 yards, while Sam Houston’s secondary allowed 178 passing yards and recorded one interception.