A champion will be crowned on Friday when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-4) take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (8-4) in the 2024 Conference USA Championship Game. The Hilltoppers have lost two of their past three games but are coming off a 19-17 victory over Jacksonville State on Nov. 30. Prior to the loss against WKU, the Gamecocks had won eight consecutive games. Jacksonville State starting quarterback Tyler Huff (ankle) is considered a game-time decision after suffering an injury in last week's loss.
Kickoff from AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama, is at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. The Gamecocks are 4.5-point favorites according to the latest Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 58. Before making any Jacksonville State vs. Western Kentucky picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it is a strong 30-19 on all top-rated picks over the past 10 weeks of this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen impressive returns.
The model has set its sights on WKU vs. Jacksonville State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for Jacksonville State vs. WKU:
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State spread: Jacksonville State -4.5
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State over/under: 58 points
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State money line: Jacksonville State -191, WKU +158
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State picks: See picks here
- Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Western Kentucky can cover
The Hilltoppers secured a 19-17 victory over Jacksonville State last week, so they'll be confident they can secure another win on Friday. Western Kentucky held Jacksonville State to just 99 passing yards in the victory. The Hilltoppers' defense is giving up 22.17 points per game this season, which ranks 41st in college football. Western Kentucky is also extremely disciplined, ranking seventh in the nation in fewest penalties (50).
Quarterback Caden Veltkamp threw for 301 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over Jacksonville State. Veltkamp enters Friday's matchup completing 67.2% of his passes for 2,665 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He's thrown two or more touchdown passes in six of his past eight games. Veltkamp's favorite target is wide receiver Kisean Johnson, who's hauled in 65 receptions for 830 yards and six touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
Why Jacksonville State can cover
The Gamecocks feature one of the nation's most explosive rushing attacks. Jacksonville State is averaging 257.4 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in college football. Running back Tre Stewart has been extremely effective, recording 237 carries, 1,403 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He's averaging 5.9 yards per carry and finished with 85 rushing yards and a touchdown in last week's loss against the Hilltoppers.
Offensively, Jacksonville State is scoring 35.4 points per game, which ranks 18th in the nation. The Gamecocks are 5-0 in their last five games at home and 12-1 in their previous 13 games against a conference opponent. See which team to pick here.
How to make Jacksonville State vs. Western Kentucky picks
The model has simulated Jacksonville State vs. Western Kentucky 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the total, and it's also generated a point spread pick that hits in more than 50% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
