The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers look to earn their third title in seven years when they battle the UTSA Roadrunners in the 2021 Conference USA Championship Game on Friday. The Hilltoppers (8-4), who won back-to-back C-USA titles in 2015 and 2016, won the East Division with a 7-1 mark, the first time they have been able to accomplish that in five years. The Roadrunners (11-1), who are making their first title game appearance, won the West Division with a 7-1 mark. The Hilltoppers closed out their regular season with a 53-21 victory at Marshall, while UTSA dropped a 45-23 decision at North Texas on Saturday.
The game from The Alamodome in San Antonio is slated to kick off at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Western Kentucky is allowing 27 points per game this year, tied for 76th in the nation, while UTSA surrenders 22.17, tied for 33rd-best. The Hilltoppers are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Western Kentucky vs. UTSA odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 73. Before making any UTSA vs. Western Kentucky picks, be sure check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,700 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Championship Week 2021 on a 42-28 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on WKU vs. UTSA and just locked in its CFB picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting trends for UTSA vs. WKU:
- Western Kentucky vs. UTSA spread: Western Kentucky -3.5
- Western Kentucky vs. UTSA over-under: 73 points
- Western Kentucky vs. UTSA money line: Western Kentucky -160, UTSA +140
- WKU: The Hilltoppers are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games overall
- UTSA: The Roadrunners are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight-up loss
Why Western Kentucky can cover
The Hilltoppers have the top passing attack in the nation, averaging 424.8 yards per game through the air. They also lead the nation with 53 passing touchdowns, 12 better than Pittsburgh and Alabama, who are tied for second. Senior quarterback Bailey Zappe, a transfer from Houston Baptist, is having a phenomenal season with 4,968 yards passing and 52 passing TDs. He has completed 70 percent of his passes and has limited his turnovers, through just nine picks. Zappe has also rushed for three scores.
Junior wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley is one of Zappe's many weapons. Tinsley has caught 71 passes for 1,126 yards (15.9 average) and 10 touchdowns, second on the team to junior transfer Jerreth Sterns, who has 127 catches for 1,539 yards and 12 TDs. Tinsley has registered four 100-plus receiving games and has two multiple-touchdown games. His best game was at Rice on Nov. 13, when he caught 10 passes for 198 yards and two TDs.
Why UTSA can cover
The Roadrunners have a number of playmakers on defense, including senior linebacker Clarence Hicks. Hicks has a team-leading eight sacks for 50 yards and has registered 31 tackles, including 21 solo. He has one forced fumble, two pass breakups and one interception. In the regular-season meeting against Western Kentucky, he recorded a pass breakup and his second career pick.
Junior safety Rashad Wisdom has also been a disruptive force and leads the team with 78 tackles, including 58 solo, and six pass breakups. He has three double-digit tackle efforts, including a 13-tackle performance at Western Kentucky on Oct. 9. In that game, he registered 11 solo stops. He also had 10 tackles in the division-clinching 34-31 win over UAB on Nov. 20. For his career, Wisdom has recorded 217 tackles, including 149 solo, with nine pass breakups, two sacks, three forced fumbles and five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.
How to make Western Kentucky vs. UTSA picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting 68 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits more than 50 percent of the time. You can only get the model's WKU vs. UTSA pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Western Kentucky vs. UTSA? And which side of the spread hits more than 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Western Kentucky vs. UTSA spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished the past five-plus years up nearly $3,700 on its FBS college football picks, and find out.
