The Sam Houston Bearkats remain in pursuit of their first FBS victory on Thursday when they visit the Liberty Flames for a Week 6 matchup. The Bearkats (0-4, 0-1 C-USA) nearly got that victory last Thursday, battling Jacksonville State to the wire but losing 35-28 in overtime. The Flames (4-0, 2-0) have won all four games by double digits behind a potent offense and opportunistic defense. They cruised to a 38-6 victory against Florida International on Saturday. While Sam Houston is in its first season at the top level, the Flames are playing their first season in Conference USA. They are 10-3 all-time against teams from the conference.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Williams Stadium on CBS Sports Network. The latest Sam Houston vs. Liberty odds via the SportsLine consensus list the Flames as 21-point favorites, and the over/under for total points scored is 46. Before locking in any Liberty vs. Sam Houston picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of more than $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Sam Houston vs. Liberty and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Liberty vs. Sam Houston:
- Sam Houston vs. Liberty spread: Flames -21
- Sam Houston vs. Liberty over/under: 46 points
- Sam Houston vs. Liberty money line: Bearkats +817, Flames -1432
- SHS: K.C. Keeler is 85-31 in his nine-plus seasons as coach.
- LIB: Liberty is 26-15 ATS since 2020, going 19-8 ATS after a victory.
- Sam Houston vs. Liberty picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Sam Houston vs. Liberty live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Liberty can cover
Liberty has one of the nation's top 10 offenses, while Sam Houston has the worst. The Flames rank second in rushing (271 yards per game), 10th in total yards (501), and 13th in scoring (40 points per contest). Quarterback Kaidon Salter has been the focal point of everything, throwing for 919 yards, rushing for 268, and accounting for 16 touchdowns while throwing only one interception. The Bearkats offense ranks last in yards per game (219.5) and scoring (9.5).
The Flames are 4-0 against the spread this season and 39-25 ATS since moving up to FBS in 2018. Running backs Quinton Cooley and Billy Lucas have combined for 567 rushing yards, both averaging more than six per carry. Four Liberty receivers have more than 100 yards and at least two touchdowns. The Flames rank fourth in the nation in turnover margin on the strength of 12 takeaways and have 10 sacks. See which team to pick here.
Why Sam Houston can cover
Sam Houston and coach K.C. Keeler both have histories of success, so they are optimistic about their FBS future. Keeler won an FCS title in 2003 at Delaware and did the same at Sam Houston in 2020. The Bearkats went 21-1 from 2020-21 before a down 5-4 campaign in 2022. They are 2-2 against the spread this season and come off their best showing of the season last Thursday. They put up 435 yards on offense, forced three turnovers, and led 21-7 at halftime.
Quarterback Keegan Shoemaker threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, and running back John Gentry had 182 total yards. Gentry scored on a 56-yard reception, backup quarterback Trapper Pannell had two rushing TDs and Noah Smith had 10 catches for 97 yards. The Bearkats defense allows 177 passing yards per game, 14th-fewest in FBS, and 25 points per contest (55th). See which team to pick here.
How to make Sam Houston vs. Liberty picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 55 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Sam Houston vs. Liberty, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of more than $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
