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Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 8: Will Hilltoppers Stumble?

Philip Wood

Last Updated: October 17, 2023 5:08 PM EDT • 2 min 52 sec read.

Austin Reed of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers looks to pass against the UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome as we look at our Western Kentucky-Jacksonville State prediction.
Austin Reed of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers looks to pass against the UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome. Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images/AFP.

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks play host to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers as we make our best Western Kentucky-Jacksonville State prediction based on the top college football odds from our best sports betting sites.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are currently on a positive trajectory with two consecutive wins and a bye week in Week 7. In Week 6, they secured a 35-28 victory over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, despite holding a commanding 35-7 lead at halftime. Western Kentucky maintains a perfect 2-0 record in conference play, making them one of the two undefeated teams in Conference USA action.

On the other hand, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks saw their impressive three-game winning streak come to an end in Week 7. They suffered a 31-13 road defeat at the hands of the undefeated Liberty Flames. Notably, the score was 17-13 as the two teams entered the fourth quarter, even though Jacksonville State failed to score after the first quarter.

Here is our best Western Kentucky-Jacksonville State prediction and our college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State prediction: Week 8

Jacksonville State +7 (-110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐

Based on what these schools have done in 2023 and the Gamecocks' passing offense being wildly inconsistent, it doesn’t seem right to make the Hilltoppers touchdown road favorites.

Western Kentucky holds a clear advantage in the passing game, but that's the only area where they’re significantly better than Jacksonville State. The Hilltoppers are averaging 287.8 passing yards per game compared to just 158.6 for the Gamecocks, but the Gamecocks look to have an advantage on both sides of the run game.

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The Gamecocks average 204 rushing yards per game, and running back Malik Jackson has averaged 5.6 yards per carry over 104 carries for 578 yards. The Hilltoppers are ranked 121st with 194 rushing yards allowed per game, and 108th with 4.9 yards allowed per carry. 

The Gamecocks' stout defense has allowed just 362.7 yards per game, including 231.1 passing yards per contest. Jacksonville State will challenge quarterback Austin Reed and the Hilltoppers’ passing attack.

Don’t let the final score from Week 7 alarm you. The Gamecocks are a solid team on both sides of the ball.

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Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State best odds

bet365 (-110)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
+7+7+7+7+7
-110-115-110-110-110

There isn't much pricing discrepancy at our best sportsbooks. FanDuel is featuring an inflated price of -115, but the odds are -110 across the board elsewhere. 

Currently, 73% of wagers at our best sports betting sites are backing the Gamecocks against the spread. We therefore recommend getting in sooner rather than later if you're on the Gamecocks.

It could be just a matter of time before this spread drops to 6.5. Take the best price you can get for the Gamecocks if you miss the key number.

Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State odds

Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State odds analysis

The Hilltoppers opened as 4.5-point favorites, and the spread has grown to seven despite the majority of early tickets backing the Gamecocks. We've seen this grow to 7.5 points at some of the best sports betting apps.

As for the total, it opened at 60.5 and early tickets favored the Under. The number has dropped to 59.5 at some sites with the best sportsbook promos as bettors continue to back the defensive-minded Gamecocks.

Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State game info

  • When: Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Burgess-Snow Field, Jacksonville, AL
  • How to watch: ESPNU
  • Weather: 43 degrees, 4-mph winds, 0% chance of precipitation

Western Kentucky-Jacksonville State prediction made 10/16/2023 at 12:08 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Philip Wood
Phil is a Sports Betting Analyst for Sportsbook Review and BettingPros.com, specializing in NFL and college football. He previously covered college football and college basketball for CanesInsight.com, where he also hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast. Phil is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is if a line doesn't make sense, just assume that Vegas knows something you don't. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. Some would call him a frontrunner for his love of the Yankees and the Celtics, but he's also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and will never forgive the refs for the blown pass interference call against the Cowboys in 2015.