Western Kentucky at Old Dominion Expert College Football Picks 10/5/2019

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium

Stone Smartt and the Old Dominion Monarchs host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium on Saturday, October 5, 2019. Old Dominion opens this game as 2.5-point underdogs. The Hilltoppers are 1-2-0 ATS and 2-1-0 when betting on the total. The Monarchs are 0-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-1-0 against the spread.

Key Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Injuries

09/17/19 QB Steven Duncan Foot is out for season
09/06/19 RB Jakairi Moses Knee is out for season

Key Old Dominion Monarchs Injuries

09/29/19 WR Eric Kumah Hip is questionable Saturday vs Western Kentucky

In their last outing, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers went up against the UAB Blazers and earned the victory by a score of 20-13. Ty Storey led the team in rushing in the game. He tore off a long run of 7 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He ran for a total of 26 yards on 13 carries which meant he averaged 2.0 yards per carry. Jahcour Pearson led the team in receiving yardage with a tally of 94 yards on 5 catches. He averaged 18.8 yards per catch in the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Hilltoppers was Ty Storey who went 15/24 with 189 yards through the air and completed 2 TD's. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ended up running the ball 29 times and added 33 yards which earned them an average of 1.1 yards per run. On the day, they ran 53 plays which gave them a total of 222 yards. For the contest, the Hilltoppers totaled 14 first downs and they had 7 infractions for 71 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. When discussing the defense, Western Kentucky allowed 18 catches on 31 attempts totaling 181 yards, and a completion percentage of 58.1%. On the ground, the Hilltoppers allowed 117 yards on 39 attempts which means they allowed 3.0 yards per rushing attempt allowed. Overall, they conceded 298 yards and earned 4 turnovers.

The Hilltoppers step onto the field holding a record of 2-2 in 2019. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 22.3 points per game, which has them at 105th in college football. As a unit, they are averaging 89.5 yards on the ground per contest which is 14th in Conference USA. For total yards, they sit in 11th in Conference USA and 117th in college football with 1,337 yards. The Hilltoppers have one of the average defenses in the nation, allowing 25 points per contest putting them 3rd in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Hilltoppers have conceded 979 yards. Opponents are completing 57.4% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 9.1 yards per attempt. When it comes to yards on the ground, Western Kentucky is giving up 124.5 yards per game ranking them 4th in the conference and 46th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3 yards per rush which has them at 3rd in the conference and 24th in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 498 yards rushing through 4 contests.

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The last time they played, the Old Dominion Monarchs took on the East Carolina Pirates and were beaten 24-21. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Monarchs was Stone Smartt who went 20/30 with 203 yards passing but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He walked away with 2 picks during the game. Stone Smartt paced the team on the ground for the game. He tore off a long run of 37 yards and he added 1 touchdown for the game. He rushed for 76 yards by way of 22 carries which gave him an average of 3.5 yards per run. Nigel Fitzgerald was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 45 yards on 1 catch. He had an average of 45.0 yards per catch for the game. The Old Dominion Monarchs ran the ball 42 times and racked up 90 yards earning them an average of 2.1 yards per rushing attempt. For the game, they ran 72 plays for a total of 293 yards. Overall, the Monarchs totaled 16 1st downs and they had 7 infractions for 75 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. On the defensive side of the ball, Old Dominion gave up 8 completions on 21 attempts for a total of 202 yards, and a completion percentage of 38.1%. For this contest, they conceded 309 yards and earned 3 takeaways. On the ground, the Monarchs gave up 107 yards on 36 carries which means they allowed 3.0 yards per carry allowed.

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The Monarchs come into this game with a record of 1-3. In discussing the offensive production, the Monarchs have one of the worst offenses in college football. Old Dominion hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 122.8 yards on the ground per game, putting them 101st in the country. As a unit, they have a total of 491 rushing yards through 4 contests, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Monarchs average 295 yards per game overall putting them 120th in Division 1 and 13th in Conference USA. The Monarchs are giving up 26 points per contest which puts them at 4th in C-USA and 66th in D-1. When talking about points given up, they have given up 104 points in total. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are giving up 94 yards per contest ranking them 22nd in college football and 2nd in C-USA. This year, they have given up 376 yards on the ground and 5.2 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road groups in the country. They are conceding 212 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Monarchs are currently ranked 5th in Conference USA.

Who will win tonight's Hilltoppers/Monarchs NCAA football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Monarchs +2.5

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