The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks face off in the Conference USA Championship on Friday night. Both teams finished off the season with 8-4 records. The Hilltoppers ended conference play with a 7-1 record while the Gamecocks finished up with a 6-2 record in conference play. They are currently 4.5 point favorites on their home field with this Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State matchup set to kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+4.5) at Jacksonville State Gamecocks (-4.5) o/u 57.5
7:00 p.m. ET, Friday, December 6, 2024
AmFirst Stadium, Jacksonville, AL
TV: CBSSN
Public Betting: Public Bettors Backing Gamecocks
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 54% of bets are on Jacksonville State. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky brought home a 19-17 win over Jacksonville State just last week to make it to the CUSA championship game. Caden Veltkamp completed 28 of 47 pass attempts for 301 yards and a touchdown. He also lost a fumble. Elijah Young carried the ball 19 times for 91 yards. The defense had an interception and 5 tackles for loss. Prior to last week the Hilltoppers had lost two straight, 38-21 to Liberty and 12-7 to Louisiana Tech.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks
The Gamecocks started off the season with three straight losses but turned things around and won 8 straight games before losing to Western Kentucky last week. Tyler Huff started off at QB, completing 3 of 11 pass attempts for 37 yards and an interception. He also led the team in rushing with 97 yards. Huff left the game with an ankle injury and Logan Smothers took over. He completed 4 of 6 passes for 62 yards and rushed for 32 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Huff is considered a game time decision while being limited in practice all week. He has thrown for 2,003 yards, 11 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Huff has also rushed for 1,176 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State Betting Trends
Western Kentucky is 7-5 ATS in their last 12 games
Western Kentucky is 3-3 ATS in their last 6 road games
Jacksonville State is 6-6 ATS in their last 12 games
Jacksonville State is 4-2 ATS in their last 6 home games
Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State Prediction:
I like the Gamecocks to cover the 4.5 point spread at home on Friday night. Western Kentucky’s defense overall isn’t bad, ranking 55th in opp. points allowed per game, but against the run they rank 101st, allowing 4.8 yards per carry. The Gamecocks averaged 5.3 yards per carry last week with Huff picking up 97 before he left the game. Of course with an ankle injury you would think he would be more limited on the run, but the Gamecocks still have Tre Stewart who is averaging 5.9 yards per carry and has 20 rushing touchdowns this season.
Even if Huff is out, I still think Jacksonville State can move the ball. Logan Smothers played well last week rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown. Overall in the limited playing time he is averaging 7.9 yards per carry on the season. Western Kentucky only found the end zone one time last week as they rank 110th in red zone scoring percentage. I’ll roll with Jacksonville State to win and cover at home where they are 4-2 ATS on the season.
Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State Prediction: Jacksonville State -4.5