The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers go for their eighth consecutive league victory when they wrap up a two-game set against the Florida International Panthers on Monday in a Conference USA matchup at Bowling Green, Ky. Western Kentucky (16-5, 9-2) rebounded from a 24-point drubbing at No. 12 Houston by breezing to a 91-58 rout of FIU on Sunday. The Panthers (9-16, 2-14) have dropped six in a row and 13 of 14 since an 8-3 start to the season.
Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET at E.A. Diddle Arena. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Hilltoppers as 17-point favorites while the over-under for total points scored is 147.5 in the latest Western Kentucky vs. FIU odds. Before making any FIU vs. Western Kentucky picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Florida International vs. WKU. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for WKU vs. Florida International:
- Western Kentucky vs. Florida International: WKU -17
- Western Kentucky vs. Florida International over-under: 147.5 points
- Western Kentucky vs. Florida International money line: WKU -2000; FIU +1000
- FIU: The Panthers have been held under 60 points in three of the past five games
- WKU: Guards Luke Frampton (undisclosed) and Josh Anderson (ankle) are not expected to play Monday
Why FIU can cover
Guard Tevin Brewer appears to be emerging from an offensive funk in which he scored a combined six points over a three-game span while shooting 2 of 16 overall and 1 of 12 from 3-point range. He broke out of the slump with 15 points and six assists vs. Southern Mississippi and followed that up with 11 points, six assists and four rebounds Sunday. Brewer is 6 of 13 from behind the arc in the past two games.
The Panthers were already reeling before Antonio Daye, the team leader in scoring, assists and steals, announced he was entering the transfer portal last week. Second-leading scorer Radshad Davis rebounded from a two-point effort in his previous game to score a team-high 13 points and snag seven rebounds in Sunday's loss. The senior forward has scored in double figures in all but three games this season.
Why Western Kentucky can cover
The Hilltoppers simply overpowered the undersized Panthers inside on Sunday, getting a combined 40 points from forward Carson Williams and center Charles Bassey. The 6-foot-11 Bassey also grabbed 14 rebounds to help Western Kentucky to a dominating 51-30 edge on the backboards. The Hilltoppers turned 20 offensive rebounds into 29 second-chance points and piled up 54 points in the paint in the wire-to-wire victory.
Guard Taveion Hollingsworth, the team's No. 2 scorer at 14.1 points, reached double figures for the fourth straight game by scoring 11 and grabbing six rebounds Sunday. He is averaging 15.3 points over the last four games and had a game-high 21 in a 91-85 win at FIU in March 2020. Williams has feasted on the Panthers, scoring a game-high 21 points Sunday and posting a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) against them last year.
How to make Florida International vs. Western Kentucky picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting both teams to combine for 150 points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 70 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Florida International vs. WKU? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
