For the second time in two weeks, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will battle the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, but this time it will be in the 2024 Conference USA Championship Game on Friday. WKU earned a spot in the title game when it beat Jacksonville State 19-17 on Saturday. It will be the fourth consecutive time that the championship game will be a rematch from the regular season. The Gamecocks (8-4, 7-1 CUSA), who have won eight of nine, are the first team to reach bowl games in each of their first two seasons at the FBS level since Marshall in 1997 and 1998. The Hilltoppers (8-4, 7-1 CUSA), who have won five of seven, will be taking part in their fourth CUSA Championship Game and first since 2021.
Kickoff from AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Ala., is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. WKU leads the all-time series 5-2. Jacksonville State is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 58.5. Before you make any Jacksonville State vs. Western Kentucky picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has covered the NFL and college football for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. Tierney is 45-25 in his last 70 college football betting picks, returning $1,717 to $100 players.
In addition, he is an amazing 11-3 on his last 14 picks in games involving Western Kentucky, returning a whopping $774. Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks or betting apps is way up.
Now, Tierney has set his sights on Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several college football betting lines and trends for Jacksonville State vs. WKU:
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State spread: Jacksonville State -5
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State over/under: 57.5 points
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State money line: Jacksonville State -203, Western Kentucky +169
- WKY: The Hilltoppers have hit the game total Over in five of their last seven road games (+2.80 units)
- JAXS: The Gamecocks have covered the spread in four of their last five home games (+2.90 units)
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why you should back Jacksonville State
Senior quarterback Tyler Huff, who is listed as questionable and could be a game-time decision with a leg injury, passed for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 to power the Gamecocks to the regular-season conference title. Huff has completed 146 of 244 passes (59.8%) for 2,003 yards and 11 touchdowns with six interceptions and a 138.8 rating. Huff also has carried 192 times for 1,176 yards (6.1 average) and 13 touchdowns.
Senior running back Tre Stewart powers the Jacksonville State rushing attack. In 12 games, he has carried 237 times for 1,403 yards (5.9 average) and 20 touchdowns. He also has caught 12 passes for 146 yards and a score. In last week's loss to the Hilltoppers, he carried 20 times for 85 yards and one touchdown. In a 31-21 win at Liberty on Oct. 30, he rushed 27 times for 232 yards (8.6 average) and four touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Western Kentucky
Sophomore quarterback Caden Veltkamp leads the Hilltoppers' offensive attack. In 11 games, he has completed 215 of 320 attempts (67.2%) for 2,665 yards and 22 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and a 153.6 rating. In last week's win over the Gamecocks, he completed 28 of 47 passes (59.6%) for 301 yards and one touchdown. His best game was in a 49-21 win at Middle Tennessee on Sept. 14. In that game, he completed 27 of 30 passes (90%) for 398 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for one score.
His top target is senior wide receiver Kisean Johnson. He has caught 65 passes for 830 yards (12.8 average) and six touchdowns. In last week's win, he caught eight passes for 51 yards. He had seven catches for 94 yards and one touchdown in a 38-21 loss at Liberty on Nov. 23. In the win over Middle Tennessee, he had eight receptions for 129 yards and two scores. See which team to pick here.
How to make Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State picks
For Friday's Conference USA Championship Game, Tierney is leaning Under the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on Friday night, all from the expert who is 11-3 on picks involving Western Kentucky, and find out.
