Two Conference USA contenders square off Tuesday night when the Bulldogs host the Hilltoppers at 7:30 PM ET on CBS Sports Network. SBR's Isaiah Sirois offers his best bets for the game in his Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech prediction:
Game prediction: Western Kentucky ML (+146 via DraftKings)
"Louisiana Tech looked like the best team in CUSA to start the season, but then the wheels fell off against Kennesaw State, in no small part due to multiple quarterback injuries. Leading passer Blake Baker went down. Then his backup, Trey Kukuk, went down as well. It’s unclear who will start under center for the Bulldogs on Tuesday. The only silver lining is that the team is coming off a bye, and head coach Sonny Cumbie is 8-3 against the spread with a rest advantage.
Cumbie’s Bulldogs have a formidable defense, but it may not be enough to stop Western Kentucky on Tuesday night. Louisiana Tech ranks an impressive 43rd in yards allowed per pass attempt (6.7) and 31st in yards per rush attempt (3.6). The problem is that the offense leans heavily on the ground game (the Bulldogs rank 13th in rushing play percentage at 60.1%), and it probably will rely on it even more if Baker or Kukuk are less than 100% healthy.
Against a predictably run-heavy Louisiana Tech offense, the high-powered Western Kentucky air raid attack should be able to keep up - and possibly pressure the other side into making mistakes. Quarterback Maverick McIvor hasn’t been perfect, but he is a solid 61st among eligible quarterbacks in passing efficiency (140.6), outpacing all of Louisiana Tech’s options, and is averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. As a whole, the Louisiana Tech offense averages 6.8.
Further, the Bulldogs’ defense looked flat-out beatable versus Kennesaw State last week. The Owls racked up 290 passing yards, four passing scores, and 8.1 yards per pass attempt. The only quarterback with a better passing efficiency score than McIvor to have played Louisiana Tech, Braylon Braxton, threw for 392 yards and two scores on 8.3 yards per pass attempt.
I expect something similar on Tuesday night, so lock in Western Kentucky for +146 at DraftKings."
Over/Under pick: Under 50.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
"Although Western Kentucky’s air raid offense can be a problem, it hasn’t looked as efficient this year as it has in previous seasons. With the Hilltoppers lining up against a run-heavy Louisiana Tech team with multiple question marks at quarterback, it looks like a good spot for the Under 50.5.
Jeff Sagarin’s projections put the total for this game at 47.7, which is below the current number at our best college football betting sites by a healthy margin. I’m not sold on the projections - they also favor Louisiana Tech - but it’s reassuring to see another system approaching the offenses in this game with similar skepticism.
Western Kentucky is 4-3 to the Under this year. Louisiana Tech is 5-1."
Game prediction: Western Kentucky ML (+146 via DraftKings)
"Louisiana Tech looked like the best team in CUSA to start the season, but then the wheels fell off against Kennesaw State, in no small part due to multiple quarterback injuries. Leading passer Blake Baker went down. Then his backup, Trey Kukuk, went down as well. It’s unclear who will start under center for the Bulldogs on Tuesday. The only silver lining is that the team is coming off a bye, and head coach Sonny Cumbie is 8-3 against the spread with a rest advantage.
Cumbie’s Bulldogs have a formidable defense, but it may not be enough to stop Western Kentucky on Tuesday night. Louisiana Tech ranks an impressive 43rd in yards allowed per pass attempt (6.7) and 31st in yards per rush attempt (3.6). The problem is that the offense leans heavily on the ground game (the Bulldogs rank 13th in rushing play percentage at 60.1%), and it probably will rely on it even more if Baker or Kukuk are less than 100% healthy.
Against a predictably run-heavy Louisiana Tech offense, the high-powered Western Kentucky air raid attack should be able to keep up - and possibly pressure the other side into making mistakes. Quarterback Maverick McIvor hasn’t been perfect, but he is a solid 61st among eligible quarterbacks in passing efficiency (140.6), outpacing all of Louisiana Tech’s options, and is averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. As a whole, the Louisiana Tech offense averages 6.8.
Further, the Bulldogs’ defense looked flat-out beatable versus Kennesaw State last week. The Owls racked up 290 passing yards, four passing scores, and 8.1 yards per pass attempt. The only quarterback with a better passing efficiency score than McIvor to have played Louisiana Tech, Braylon Braxton, threw for 392 yards and two scores on 8.3 yards per pass attempt.
I expect something similar on Tuesday night, so lock in Western Kentucky for +146 at DraftKings."
Over/Under pick: Under 50.5 (-110 via BetMGM)
"Although Western Kentucky’s air raid offense can be a problem, it hasn’t looked as efficient this year as it has in previous seasons. With the Hilltoppers lining up against a run-heavy Louisiana Tech team with multiple question marks at quarterback, it looks like a good spot for the Under 50.5.
Jeff Sagarin’s projections put the total for this game at 47.7, which is below the current number at our best college football betting sites by a healthy margin. I’m not sold on the projections - they also favor Louisiana Tech - but it’s reassuring to see another system approaching the offenses in this game with similar skepticism.
Western Kentucky is 4-3 to the Under this year. Louisiana Tech is 5-1."