Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Western Michigan Broncos Pick, Odds, First Responder Bowl Prediction 12/30/2019

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Western Michigan Broncos

Date: Monday, December 30, 2019

First Responder Bowl

Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, TX

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Western Michigan +2.5

Total/Over-Under: 54

Jon Wassink and the Western Michigan Broncos host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Monday, December 30, 2019 in the First Responder Bowl. Western Kentucky opens this game as 2.5-point favorites. The Hilltoppers are 8-4-0 ATS and 6-6-0 when betting on the total. The Broncos are 4-7-1 when wagering on the over/under and 6-6-0 against the spread.

In their last contest, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers went up against the MTSU Blue Raiders and won by a score of 31-26. Running the show from under center for the Hilltoppers was Ty Storey who went 23/30 with 294 yards through the air and completed 2 TD's. He ended the game with no interceptions. Gaej Walker led the team in rushing for that contest. He tore off a long run of 47 yards and he added 1 TD for the game. He ran for 119 yards on 14 carries which meant he was running for 8.5 yards per carry. Lucky Jackson was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 110 yards on 8 receptions. He had an average of 13.8 yards per catch for that contest. The Hilltoppers ran the ball 27 times and added 180 yards which earned them an average of 6.7 yards per rush. In all, they ran 57 plays for a total of 474 yards. On the day, the Hilltoppers had a total of 20 first downs and they totaled 1 penalty for 5 yards which is telling of the great week of practice this squad had. On the defensive side of the ball, Western Kentucky conceded 18 completions on 33 tries totaling 301 yards, and a completion percentage of 54.5%. In the running game, the Hilltoppers conceded 165 yards on 48 runs which is an average of 3.4 yards per attempt allowed. For the game, they gave up 466 yards and earned 2 turnovers.

The Hilltoppers step onto the field holding a record of 8-4 for this season. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 25.6 points per game, which has them at 90th in college football. As a unit, they are averaging 128.9 rushing yards per game which is 12th in the conference. For total yardage, they currently sit at 9th in the conference and 89th in college football with 4,560 yards. The Hilltoppers have one of the best defenses in Division 1, allowing 20.1 points per game ranking them 1st in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Hilltoppers have allowed 3,013 yards. Teams are completing 53.1% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.4 yards per attempt. In discussing yards rushing, Western Kentucky is allowing 137.7 yards per game ranking them 5th in the conference and 41st in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.7 yards per rush ranking them 4th in Conference USA and 35th in D-1 overall. In total, they have allowed 1,652 yards rushing through 12 games.

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The last time they took the field, the Western Michigan Broncos took on the NIU Huskies and ended up taking the loss by a score of 17-14. Running the show from under center for the Broncos was Jon Wassink who went 17/33 with 185 yards through the air but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He finished the game without throwing an interception. LeVante Bellamy led the team in rushing for the game. His longest run of the day went for 55 yards and he added 2 TD's during the game. He rushed for 128 yards on 21 carries which meant he was running for 6.1 yards per carry. Skyy Moore was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 125 yards on 9 catches. He notched an average of 13.9 yards per catch for the game. The Broncos ran the football 34 times and generated 163 yards which gave them an average of 4.8 yards per attempt. On the day, they ran 67 plays which added up to 348 yards. On the day, the Broncos earned 16 first downs and they had a total of 3 penalties for 25 yards which is telling of the great week of practice this squad had. On the defensive side of the ball, Western Michigan allowed 7 catches on 12 throws for a total of 93 yards, and a completion percentage of 58.3%. Against the run, the Broncos allowed 157 yards on 47 carries which means they had an average of 3.3 yards per carry allowed. On the day, they allowed 250 yards and forced 2 takeaways.

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The Broncos head into this matchup 7-5. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Broncos have one of the best offenses in the nation. Western Michigan is making teams fear their ground game this season by averaging 212.7 yards on the ground per game, which has them at 24th in D-1. As a team, they have compiled a total of 2,552 rushing yards through 12 contests, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Broncos average 457.3 yards per game overall which has them at 22nd in the country and 2nd in the MAC. The Broncos are giving up 26.2 points per game ranking them 2nd in the Mid-American Conference and 57th in D-1. When talking about points given up, they have given up 314 points in total. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are conceding 186.5 yards per contest which puts them at 94th in the nation and 7th in the MAC. For 2019, they have allowed 2,238 yards rushing and 18 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the mediocre groups in Division 1. They are giving up 228.1 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Broncos are ranked 9th in the MAC.

Who will win tonight's Hilltoppers/Broncos college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Hilltoppers -2.5

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