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The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers go on the road to play the Sam Houston Bearkats on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on ESPN2.
Western Kentucky (4-2, 2-0 CUSA) is coming off a 44-17 home win over UTEP, while Sam Houston (5-1, 2-0 CUSA) is fresh off a bye week after beating UTEP 41-21.
Western Kentucky vs Sam Houston: Preview
Western Kentucky is a 3.5-point underdog, while the over/under is set at 55.5 points.
The Hilltoppers are coming off a statement win over UTEP to improve to 2-0 in conference play. Western Kentucky dominated the game from start to finish, and coach Tyson Helton was pleased to get another conference win.
"Good conference win tonight. A lot of things we can build off of for sure. At times, it was not pretty. We've got a quick turnaround coming up with Sam Houston, so we've got to turn this page and get going with them. Celebrate all wins. We're very happy to win this game, but we need to get a lot better and we need to get a lot better real fast in every area," Helton said, via the team website.
"There wasn't all three phases, at times we could've played a lot better. I know one thing about our guys – they play extremely hard, they've got great camaraderie, they love to compete, and so long as you've got that, you've got a chance to win every game," Helton added.
The Hilltoppers have been led by quarterback Caden Veltkamp, who has thrown for 1,147 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Kisean Johnson has led the way with 474 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.
Defensively, Western Kentucky has been led by Devonte' Matthews who has two picks as well as 27 tackles, which is a tied team-high.
Sam Houston State, meanwhile, is coming off a bye week after a blowout win over UTEP to improve to 5-1. The Bearkats, though, have a tough matchup against Western Kentucky who's a legit threat to win the Conference USA.
The Bearkats have been led by Hunter Watson who has thrown for 859 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also rushed for 370 yards and four touchdowns. Qua'Vez Humphreys is the leading receiver, recording 12 receptions for 281 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, Sam Houston is led by Cam Weaver who has three interceptions, Chris Murray who has 3.5 sacks, and Weaver who leads the team with 38 tackles.
This should be a great, competitive game, but Sam Houston at home is tough to beat. Coming off a bye week is also beneficial, as the Bearkats could get healthy and use the extra week to focus on Western Kentucky, one of the top teams in Conference USA.
This game could come down to a field goal, but Sam Houston at home could edge out the win.
Prediction: Sam Houston 34-31 Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky vs Sam Houston: Betting Tips
Tip 1: Western Kentucky +3.5 (-115)
Tip 2: Over 55.5 (-110)
Tip 3: Hunter Watson anytime touchdown scorer
