Sam Houston State Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction, 11/18/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Sam Houston State Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023

Location: Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, KY

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Hilltoppers (-13)

Total/Over-Under: 52

Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium is the location where the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (5-5) will attempt to defeat the Sam Houston State Bearkats (2-8) on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Sam Houston State opens this contest as 13-point underdogs. The total is 52.

The Sam Houston State Bearkats head into this game 2-8 for this season. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Bearkats faced the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and took home the win by a score of 42-27. Adrian Murdaugh was the leader on the ground for the Bearkats with 9 attempts for 67 yards (7.4 yards per carry). Keegan Shoemaker connected on 18/28 with 269 yards passing and 1 touchdown. He had a QB rating of 156.8 and walked away from the game without throwing a pick. On the ground, the Bearkats conceded 105 yards on 26 tries, which is 4.0 yards per rush allowed. Sam Houston State conceded 30 pass completions on 43 tries for 419 yds, and a completion percentage of 69.8%. In all, they tallied 61 plays which gave them a total of 413 yards. The Sam Houston State Bearkats ended up running the ball 33 different times and had 144 yards, which had them averaging 4.4 yards per carry.

The Bearkats have tallied 3,096 total yards for the season. When it comes to getting the ball in the endzone, Sam Houston State has earned 14 touchdowns via the pass and 10 rushing touchdowns. They have surrendered the ball 12 different times. Sam Houston State has recorded 181 first downs, and they have been called for 51 infractions for 415 yards. As a unit they maintain an average of 89.6 yards in the run game which has them sitting 128th in the nation. When talking about putting points on the board, the Sam Houston State Bearkats are averaging 19.4 PPG.

The Bearkats sit in 69th in college football when it comes to team defense, conceding 26.6 PPG. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.8 yards per rushing attempt and 181.6 rushing yards per contest on the year. Overall, they have allowed 1,816 running yards through 10 outings. Concerning passing yardage, the Bearkats are giving up 2,110 yds which has them sitting in 40th in the country. They have conceded 211.0 yards per game via the pass as well as giving up a completion percentage of 62.0%. Over the course of this season, they are allowing 392.6 yards/outing ranking them 87th in D-1. They have surrendered 11 touchdowns via the pass as well as 22 touchdowns running the ball.

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The Hilltoppers head into this game 5-5 for this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Hilltoppers took a loss by a final score of 38-29 when they played the New Mexico State Aggies. Austin Reed (3 touchdowns) ended the game with 270 yards on 20/36 passing while his QB rating was 140.5. He tossed 1 pick and his average yards per pass attempt was 7.5. Elijah Young ran the ball 14 times for 80 yds, walking away from the contest with 5.7 yds per carry for Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers finished the contest with a total of 437 yds and they ran 67 plays (6.5 yds per play). Western Kentucky ran for 5.4 yds per attempt, finishing the contest with 167 yds on 31 carries. Western Kentucky gave up 36 running attempts for 205 yds (5.7 yards per rush). The Hilltoppers secondary conceded a completion percentage of 58.3%, surrendering 141 yards on 14 for 24 passing.

When looking at how much they score, the Hilltoppers currently sit 59th in college football with 28.9 points per outing. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers average 388.0 yards per game, which ranks them 67th in Division 1. The Western Kentucky offense has racked up 372 penalty yds on 45 infractions, which ranks them 121st in the nation in terms of giving up free yards. They have thrown 8 interceptions while allowing opponents to recover 4 fumbles and they have recorded 192 1st downs. For the year to this point, the Hilltoppers currently sit at 2,730 passing yards together with holding an average of 273.0 passing yards per game, which is ranked 32nd in the country. They hold an average of 115.0 yards per game on the ground and have toted the ball for 1,150 yards for this season.

Western Kentucky has conceded a total of 2,108 yards via the ground game (210.8 yards per game) as well as 19 touchdowns via the rush this season. They have surrendered 15 touchdowns through the air in addition to 234.3 yards/outing, ranking them 79th in D-1. They have compiled 9 fumbles recovered and 10 picks this season. The Hilltoppers defense has been on the field for 741 plays, which has them ranked 127th in the country. The Hilltoppers are surrendering 28.7 PPG, which has them 95th in the country. This season, they have given up 287 total points.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Hilltoppers -13

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