Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Prediction CFB August 23. Place a bet on this college football game with 100% crypto.

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Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Prediction

The opening week clash between the Sam Houston Bearkats and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers sets up as a classic battle of strength versus strength. Sam Houston’s defense was one of the most consistent units in college football last season, ranking inside the top 25 nationally in both scoring and total defense. Their ability to disrupt passing games and force opponents into uncomfortable third-down situations could prove vital against Western Kentucky’s explosive aerial attack. Meanwhile, the Bearkats’ ground game was steady, averaging nearly 180 rushing yards per contest, though their offensive line will need to improve efficiency after averaging just 4.2 yards per carry.

On the other side, Western Kentucky thrives on offensive firepower, particularly through the air. Their passing offense ranked inside the top 25 in the nation with over 264 yards per game, but the Hilltoppers’ inconsistency in the run game made them predictable at times. Defensively, the Hilltoppers present a paradox—while their pass defense was among the very best in the country, their run defense ranked near the bottom, surrendering more than 220 yards per game. That weakness could be exploited by a Sam Houston team that prefers to run first and wear down defenses. For bettors, this creates a fascinating dynamic: strength-on-strength when WKU throws the ball, but a clear mismatch when Sam Houston commits to the run.

Betting trends also provide valuable insight heading into this matchup. Sam Houston has been strong in season openers, covering the spread in five straight Week 1 contests, while Western Kentucky has struggled to cover in recent games overall, sitting at just 1-5 ATS in their last six. However, the Hilltoppers boast an impressive record in non-conference matchups, winning 13 of their last 15. Totals trends lean toward the under, as both teams have hit unders consistently in recent games, especially when Sam Houston has faced Conference USA opponents. This suggests a competitive, lower-scoring battle where turnovers and red-zone execution could determine the outcome.

Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Prediction: Head to Head

Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Prediction: Bearkats

After the conclusion of the season, the Sam Houston Bearkats finished with a record of 10-3. The Bearkats defeated the Georgia Southern Eagles by a score of 31-26 in their most recent game, which took place when they were currently competing on the field. They completed a total of sixty plays, which resulted in a gross gain of 267 yards. A total of 32 different times, the Sam Houston Bearkats ran the football, and they accumulated 54 yards, which is equivalent to an average of 1.7 yards per carry. As far as the Bearkats’ ability to stop the run was concerned, they allowed 181 yards on 42 tries, which is equivalent to an average of 4.3 yards per rush that they allowed. Sam Houston had a completion rate of 57.1% and allowed 20 completions on 35 attempts, which resulted in 212 yards scored.

In terms of the number of points that were scored, the Sam Houston Bearkats scored an average of 23.8 points per basketball game. Their running game averaged 179.8 yards per game, which placed them in 41st place in Division 1 of the National Football League. The Bearkats finished the previous season with a total of 4,523 yards gained. In total, Sam Houston scored 21 touchdowns on the ground and 16 touchdowns through the air. A total of 244 first downs were accumulated by the Sam Houston team, while they were penalized for a total of 60 yards and 493 yards. In total, sixteen times, they flipped the football over.

In terms of the number of points scored by their opponents, the Bearkats were 22nd in Division I, allowing 20.5 points per game. During the previous season, they allowed an average of 4.0 yards per run and 144.5 yards running per game through their defense. Through a total of thirteen games, they allowed a total of 1,879 yards on the ground. When it came to the amount of passing yards that they allowed, the Bearkats were placed sixteenth in Division 1 with a total of 2,301 yards. In the course of the 13 games that they participated in during the previous season, they allowed an average of 177.0 yards per game with the passing game and a completion rate of 57.3%. According to the results of each game, they allowed 321.5 yards, which placed them 22nd in Division 1. They were unable to score 14 touchdowns through the air in addition to the 17 touchdowns they scored through running.

Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Prediction: Bearkats Trends

• Over the past seven games, Sam Houston State has a record of 2-5 against the spread.
• There have been six of Sam Houston State’s last seven games in which the total has been UNDER.
• Overall, Sam Houston State has a record of 5-1 in its previous six games.
• In its previous five games played away from home, Sam Houston State has a record of 1-4 against the spread.
• Each of Sam Houston State’s most recent five games against an opponent from the Conference USA conference has resulted in the total going UNDER in five of those games.
• Sam Houston State’s last five games against opponents from the East Division division have all resulted in the total going UNDER in four of those games.
• In its last five games played in week 1, Sam Houston State has a perfect record against the spread (ATS).
• In the last five games that have been played on a Saturday, Sam Houston State has a record of 4-1 against the spread.

Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Prediction: Hilltoppers

As the season came to a close, the Hilltoppers finished with an 8-6 record. When the Hilltoppers last competed on the gridiron, they were defeated by the James Madison Dukes by a score of 27-17. This was their most recent game. At the conclusion of the game, the Hilltoppers had a total of 318 yards, and they ran 59 plays, which averaged 5.4 yards per play. With a total of 20 tries, Western Kentucky was able to run the ball for a total of 16 yards, which is equivalent to 0.8 yards per carry. There were 46 attempts to run for 212 yards by Western Kentucky, which resulted in 4.6 yards per carry. 182 yards were given up through the air by the Hilltoppers secondary, which allowed a completion rate of 70.8% and enabled 17 out of 24 passes to be completed.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers finished third in Division 1 with an average of 373.5 yards per game, which placed them in 82nd place. The Western Kentucky offense piled up 578 penalty yards on 57 violations, which placed them 124th in college football in terms of the amount of damage they caused to your team with penalties. As a whole, they rushed for 1,525 yards and had an average of 108.9 yards per game on the ground against their opponents. A total of 270 first downs were earned by them, despite the fact that they conceded 13 interceptions and 13 fumbles. In terms of the number of points that were scored, the Hilltoppers finished in 92nd place in Division 1 with a scoring average of 24.9 points per game. The Hilltoppers finished the previous season with a total of 3,704 passing yards and an average of 264.6 passing yards per game, which placed them in the 25th position in Division 1 of the National Football League.

This resulted in the Hilltoppers being ranked 62nd in Division I due to their 24.6 points per game. Last year, Western Kentucky allowed a total of 3,097 running yards, which is equivalent to 221.2 yards per game. Additionally, they scored 27 touchdowns with the use of the rush. The total number of points that they allowed was 344. During the game, they allowed the opponent to score 18 touchdowns through the air and gain 176.1 yards per contest, which placed them in ninth place in Division I. Due to the fact that the Hilltoppers defense participated in 939 plays, they were ranked 117th in the college football rankings. Over the course of the previous season, they had a total of ten recoveries and ten fumbles recorded.

Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Prediction: Hilltoppers Trends

• Over the past six games, Western Kentucky has a record of 1-5 against the spread.
• There have been five of Western Kentucky’s last seven games in which the total has been UNDER.
• Western Kentucky has a winning record of 11-5 in its previous 16 games.
• Six of Western Kentucky’s last seven games played at home have resulted in the total going UNDER.
• In its previous 15 games against non-conference opponents in the Conference USA conference, Western Kentucky has a winning percentage of 13-2.
• Four of Western Kentucky’s most recent six games played in the month of August have resulted in the total going over.
• In its last five games played in week 1, Western Kentucky has a Super Bowl record of 4-1.

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