Western Kentucky vs Southern Miss Prediction and Pick NEW ORLEANS BOWL Picks, College Football Picks

The New Orleans Bowl will feature a postseason matchup between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, which promises to be an exciting experience for fans. The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana will serve as the venue for this event, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Fans can tune in to ESPN at 5:30 p.m. to listen to all of the action for themselves. In spite of their recent defeats at the hands of Jacksonville State and LSU, the Hilltoppers have shown that they are resilient, particularly with notable victories such as their 42-26 victory over Middle Tennessee. Western Kentucky enters the bowl game with a regular season record of 8-4, which reflects a solid 6-2 performance in the Conference USA. The key to their success against Southern Miss will be their balanced approach, which includes both passing yards and running yards. On the other side, Southern Miss comes with a 7-5 record from the Sun Belt Conference, surviving a rough finale to their regular season. It’s possible that defeats to Troy and South Alabama have lowered morale, but victories that were particularly noteworthy earlier in the season inspire hope. In an effort to pose a threat to Western Kentucky’s defense, the Golden Eagles will attempt to capitalize on their impressive passing production.

Comparing the current season to the prior one, the offensive performance of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles has showed substantial improvement. They are currently ranked 42nd in the nation with 358 points scored, and they have improved their passing game to 27th with 3200 yards to their credit. Their rushing attack, on the other hand, continues to be less effective overall, ranking 88th with 1660 yards.

Braylon Braxton, the quarterback for Southern Miss, has been an important contributor to the team’s success. He has thrown for 2795 yards, which places him 36th nationally. His 23 touchdown passes highlight his effectiveness and ability to execute in the passing game.

As a result of their defensive struggles, the Golden Eagles currently hold the 117th spot in the rankings, having conceded 329 points. On the other hand, their pass rush has been a shining example, as they have racked up 27 sacks, which places them 15th most in the nation. Also contributing to the team’s success is the secondary, which has 21 interceptions, which places them 22nd in the nation.

The failure to consistently halt opposition offenses has been a cause for concern, despite the fact that they have demonstrated a high level of skill in generating turnovers. As they progress through the season, it will be essential for them to concentrate on improving their defensive consistency.

Within the context of the passing game, wide receivers Elijah Metcalf and Carl Chester have proven extremely important. Chester has provided 565 receiving yards and seven touchdowns during the season, while Metcalf has led the club with 677 receiving yards.

Having rushed for 640 yards and scoring eight touchdowns, running back Jeffery Pittman is a dependable option on the ground because of his performance. His dual-threat skill is supplemented with 23 receptions, offering another dimension to the offense.

In recent times, Southern Miss has been experiencing a difficult run, as they have lost three games in a row. In a game against South Alabama that ended in a 42-35 loss, the offense displayed potential by passing for 400 yards, but defensive lapses allowed for 266 yards of rushing play.

The most recent game they played was against Troy, and they were defeated at home by a score of 28-18. As they try to change the tide in upcoming games, they continue to place a strong emphasis on maintaining consistent execution on both sides of the ball.

Western Kentucky has been impressive through the air, ranking 25th in passing yards with 3,271 for the season. There has been less of an emphasis placed on their ground attack, as they currently rank 92nd with 1,607 rushing yards.

With 357 points for the season, the Hilltoppers are now ranked 43rd in total points. There is no denying the fact that they have a strong offensive unit, but there is space for development in terms of converting yardage into touchdowns.

Defensively, Western Kentucky ranks 96th in points against, allowing 281 this season. They have demonstrated strength in causing turnovers, ranking 9th in interceptions with 8 and 10th in fumbles recovered with 5.

Their pass rush is noteworthy, as they have 16 sacks, which places them 26th in the league. This ability to disrupt opposing quarterbacks is a critical component of their defensive strategy.

In their most recent match, Western Kentucky was defeated by Jacksonville State by a score of 37-34 in the very end. They had a strong rushing game, putting up 206 yards, despite the fact that they were defeated.

The outcomes of the previous games have been inconsistent, with a tight loss to LSU by a score of 13-10 and a dominant victory over Middle Tennessee by a score of 42-26. It has been established that the Hilltoppers are resilient in games that are close.

In terms of passing yards, Maverick McIvor, the team’s quarterback, has a total of 1,863 yards, making him the leader. The addition of Rodney Tisdale Jr., who provides 1,367 yards via the air, is a fantastic complement to his effectiveness.

The contributions that La’Vell Wright has made on the ground have been tremendous, as he has rushed for 460 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. This is Matthew Henry and K.D. When it comes to the receiving corps, Hutchinson is the most desirable target, with 762 and 619 yards respectively.

Both Western Kentucky and Southern Miss have offenses that are ranked in the top 50 nationally, with point totals of 357 and 358 respectively throughout the course of the regular season. at light of this, it appears like they have the potential to score a huge amount of points, particularly at a neutral environment such as the Caesars Superdome. Their attacking talents, when combined with their defense ranks, which are not among the top 90, indicate that they will have a game that is rich in scoring.

The recent patterns that have been seen for both teams point to a proclivity toward high-scoring outcomes. The games played by Western Kentucky have a tendency to have greater totals, whereas Southern Miss games in which they are the underdog have seen over hits 63.3% of the time throughout the course of 30 games. In addition, Southern Miss has a 75% over rate in their last four games after suffering a defeat, which lends more confidence to the forecast.

On the basis of the strengths and limitations of both teams, a final score forecast indicates that the game will likely end with a high number of points scored. While Southern Miss has a defensive ranking that is outside of the top 100 in points against, Western Kentucky’s excellent passing game ranks 25th in the nation. This could contribute to a high total because Southern Miss’s defense is not very good. When all of these elements are considered together, the over 55.5 is a choice that is enticing.

As a conclusion, you should anticipate that both attacks will take advantage of the defensive weaknesses and deliver a high-scoring finish. It is anticipated that the game will go above the predetermined total, and the estimated score will represent the offensive duel that is expected to take place.

✅ Our Western Kentucky vs Southern Miss Prediction: Western Kentucky

 

Western Kentucky vs Southern Miss Prediction and Pick NEW ORLEANS BOWL Picks, College Football Picks, by YouWager.lv.