Mid-week college football action is back, and fans are thrilled to have their favorite sport on TV more often. Conference USA takes the field on Wednesday with Western Kentucky taking on Sam Houston State. Get all the betting info you need for this important matchup below!
Most online sportsbooks opened this line with Sam Houston State as a two-point home favorite over Western Kentucky. A lot of sharp bettors initially pounced on the Bearkats, so much so that the point spread is now Sam Houston State -3 at most shops.
As for the game total, it's currently sitting at 56 after an opener of 55 on Sunday afternoon. It's easy to see why oddsmakers are expecting a high-scoring affair, especially since both defenses rank outside the Top 50 in points per game allowed.
Western Kentucky has always loved to air the ball out on offense and this year is no exception. The Hilltoppers average 264.4 passing yards per game thanks to QB Caden Veltkamp, who has thrown for 11 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions so far in 2024.
It'll be interesting to see how Veltkamp does against a Sam Houston State secondary that ranks 24th in yards per pass allowed. The Toppers don't put much emphasis on running the football, but Elijah Young leads the team with 278 yards on the ground.
WKU's defense has done well against the run this season, but they've struggled to defend the pass. The Hilltoppers rank 124th in yards per pass allowed so you can bet that Sam Houston State will try to exploit this secondary. Devonte' Matthews leads WKU with 2 interceptions on the year.
The Bearkats are off to a 5-1 start and it's mainly because of QB Hunter Watson, a true dual-threat QB that is incredibly tough to defend. Watson has thrown for 7 touchdowns and has also found the end zone 4 times with his legs. Western Kentucky will need to put a spy on Watson to try to keep him in check.
Watson's favorite downfield target is junior WR Qua'vez Humphreys, who has hauled in 12 receptions for 281 yards and 4 touchdowns this season. Humphreys can stretch the field, but Sam Houston State prefers a more methodical approach on offense, which is why they rank 13th in time of possession.
Sam Houston State's defense has improved quite a bit this season. We already talked about how solid their secondary is, but they also do a great job of getting off the field on third down. Their also one of the best in the country at red zone defense! Chris Murray leads the team with 3.5 sacks.
From a power ratings perspective, this line is about right. However, the spot heavily favors the Bearkats. They're getting a mid-week home game on national TV and they're coming off a bye week. They also have conference championship aspirations, which means that this one is a must-win.
Western Kentucky is a decent team, but their offense has really struggled on third down and in the red zone. That won't bode well against an above-average Sam Houston State defense. Let's lay the points with the Bearkats and look for Hunter Watson to be the difference-maker!
Prediction: Sam Houston State 31 - Western Kentucky 24