Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Appalachian State Mountaineers Prediction, 12/18/2021 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Appalachian State Mountaineers

Date: Saturday, December 18, 2021

Location: FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, FL

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Mountaineers (-3)

Total/Over-Under: 67.5

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-5) are headed to FAU Stadium on Saturday where they will take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers (10-3) in the Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. Appalachian State opens as 3-point favorites. The total has been set at 67.5.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers head into this matchup 8-5 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Hilltoppers faced the UTSA Roadrunners and ended up losing by a score of 49-41. Bailey Zappe went 36/59 with 577 yards passing and 4 TDs. He had a QB rating of 158.8 and ended the game with 2 interceptions. Noah Whittington was the best rusher for the Hilltoppers with 4 carries for 15 yds (3.8 yds per carry). The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ended up rushing 16 times and had -9 yds, which had them averaging -0.6 yards per attempt. On the day, they tallied 76 plays which totaled 568 yards. Western Kentucky allowed 21 completions on 30 attempts for a total of 252 yds, and a completion percentage of 70.0%. Against the run, the Hilltoppers gave up 304 yards on 54 attempts, which is 5.6 yds per rush allowed.

In terms of putting points on the board, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are averaging 43.1 points per game. As a team they maintain an average of 93.8 yards in the run game which is 125th in the country. The Hilltoppers have earned 6,869 yards in total over the course of this season. When it comes to scoring, Western Kentucky has amassed 57 touchdowns through the air and 10 touchdowns via the ground. Western Kentucky has accounted for 359 1st downs as an offense, and they have been flagged for 94 infractions for 748 yards. They have surrendered the ball 20 times.

When talking about passing yards, the Hilltoppers are conceding 3,384 yards which has them ranked 123rd in D-1. They have conceded 260.3 yards per outing through the air in addition to conceding a completion percentage of 61.1%. Over the course of this season, they are granting 422.5 yards per game ranking them 98th in D-1. They have given up 20 touchdowns via the pass and 27 touchdowns on the ground. They are giving up an average of 4.1 yards per rush and 162.2 rushing yards per contest this year. In total, they have allowed 2,109 rushing yards through 13 games. The Hilltoppers rank 89th in college football when it comes to team defense, allowing 28.7 points per contest.

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The Mountaineers step onto the field holding a record of 10-3 for this season. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Mountaineers took a defeat with a final score of 24-16 when they faced the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. Chase Brice (1 TD) ended the game with 119 yds on 12/30 through the air while his QB rating was 84.3. He kept the ball away from the defense with no interceptions and his Y/A was 4.0. Nate Noel carried the ball 12 times for 42 yards, walking away from the game with 3.5 yds per carry for Appalachian State. The Mountaineers finished the game with a total of 290 yds and they ran 64 plays (4.5 yards per play). Appalachian State rushed the football for 5.0 yards per attempt, finishing the game with 171 yards on 34 attempts. Appalachian State surrendered 41 running attempts for 188 yds (4.6 yards per rush). The Mountaineers pass defense conceded a completion percentage of 46.9%, relinquishing 210 yards on 15 out of 32 passing.

The Appalachian State Mountaineers hold an average of 428.5 yards/game, ranking them 45th in D-1. The Appalachian State offense has 710 penalty yards on 79 violations, which is 48th in Division 1 in terms of giving up free yards. During this campaign to this point, the Mountaineers currently sit at 3,130 yards through the air as well as holding an average of 240.8 passing yards per game, which has them ranked 59th in the country. In terms of the points being put on the board, the Mountaineers are ranked 24th in the country scoring 34.2 points per outing.

Appalachian State has yielded a total of 1,547 yards rushing (119.0 yards per game) in addition to 16 touchdowns rushing this year. They have yielded 12 touchdowns from the passing game as well as 206.6 yards per contest, which puts them in 31st in the country. The Mountaineers defense has been on the field for 848 plays, which has them sitting 92nd in college football. The Mountaineers are giving up 19.3 points per game, which puts them 16th in D-1. This year, they have relinquished 251 points in total.

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

Parlays Pundit's Pick: Take the Mountaineers -3

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