The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (5-2, 3-0 CUSA) and Kennesaw State Owls (1-6, 1-2) meet on Wednesday night for the final showdown of midweek Conference USA action. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Hilltoppers enter this matchup in a tie at the top of the league standings with Jacksonville State, with both programs owning 3-0 conference records.
Meanwhile, the Owls picked up their 1st win of the year with a 27-24 victory over Liberty last week. They will be looking to carry that momentum into this one.
As we saw a week ago, anyone can beat anyone in this league. However, Western Kentucky enters as a -24 favorite with an over/under of 49.
Let’s break down the action with my Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky predictions and college football picks for Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Kennesaw State Owls vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction
- Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Pick: Caden Veltkamp 3+ Passing Touchdowns (+130)
My Western Kentucky vs. Kennesaw State best bet is on Western Kentucky quarterback Caden Valtkamp to throw at least three touchdowns, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Odds, Spread, Line
| Kennesaw State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+24.5 -110 | 49.5 -105o / -115u | +1300 |
| Western Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-24.5 -110 | 49.5 -105o / -115u | -2500 |
- Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Spread: Western Kentucky -24.5
- Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Over/Under: 49.5 Total Points
- Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Moneyline: Western Kentucky ML -2500 · Kennesaw State ML +1300
Kennesaw State Football vs. Western Kentucky Football Preview
Kennesaw State Owls Betting Preview: Full-Team Effort
It has not been an easy transition to the FBS level for the Owls in Year 1. They lost their first six games and failed to cover the spread in five.
However, coach Brian Bohannon’s team has continued to play hard, and the hard work paid off last week with the big upset win over Liberty. It gave the Flames their first regular season loss in 17 contests and their first as a member of CUSA.
There were multiple key performers in the victory, starting with quarterback Davis Bryson. He finished with the third-highest passer grade in the country for Week 9 as the offense put up the eighth-best offensive grade nationally by PFF.
Meanwhile, the defense has been the main story in recent weeks. In the loss at Middle Tennessee, the Blue Raiders were held to just seven offensive points and under 300 total yards.
The Owls followed that up by shutting down Liberty’s strong rushing game. Only twice in the last two seasons have the Flames been held to 180 rushing yards or fewer, and those games came against Oregon and Kennesaw State.
It will need to be another full-team effort to get a win here.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Preview: Bowl Eligibility in Reach
Since opening with a 63-point loss at Alabama, the Hilltoppers have been a dominant team on the scoreboard and in the betting markets. WKU has won five of its last six and covered the spread in all of those games.
With a win here, the Tops can become bowl-eligible for the sixth time in six seasons under head coach Tyson Helton. It would mark the first time WKU has become bowl-eligible before November under Helton and the first time as a program since 2016.
Playing at home is one of the keys to a strong start. The Hilltoppers are 3-0 at home for the second straight year, and they can become 4-0 at Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium for the first time since their 2015 CUSA Championship squad.
To add more to this encounter, Flo Ride will perform a free pregame concert before kickoff. With this also being WKU’s annual "Black Out" game, there's plenty to be excited about on The Hill.
WKU, it's Going Down For Real!
Flo Rida to perform free pregame concert prior to @WKUFootball game on Wednesday, Oct. 30!
Details: https://t.co/XAdSK8OUi9#GoTopspic.twitter.com/fNYQKT57Ev
— WKU Sports (@WKUSports) September 21, 2024
Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Kennesaw State and Western Kentucky match up statistically:
Kennesaw State Offense vs. Western Kentucky Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 134 | 86 | |
| Line Yards | 134 | 96 | |
| Pass Success | 133 | 117 | |
| Havoc | 123 | 118 | |
| Finishing Drives | 121 | 15 | |
| Quality Drives | 130 | 25 | |
Western Kentucky Offense vs. Kennesaw State Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 78 | 115 | |
| Line Yards | 66 | 55 | |
| Pass Success | 49 | 73 | |
| Havoc | 59 | 93 | |
| Finishing Drives | 46 | 103 | |
| Quality Drives | 46 | 102 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 84 | 15 |
| PFF Coverage | 53 | 115 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 43 | 32 |
| Middle 8 | 106 | 51 |
| Seconds per Play | 29.7 (119) | 25.2 (31) |
| Rush Rate | 62% (11) | 50% (96) |
How to Bet My Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Pick
This is a terrible spot for Kennesaw State, which is coming off a big upset victory with a road game against a top conference foe off a bye. I believe this is all priced into the spread to keep me away, but I do believe there's value in a player prop.
So, my best bet is for WKU quarterback Caden Veltkamp to throw three or more touchdowns at +130 odds at DraftKings. I like this down to +105.
The numbers by this Owls defense are pretty poor across the board. As we saw last week, the unit still struggles against the pass when it shuts down the run.
On the season, Kennesaw ranks outside the top 120 in both Pass EPA per Play and Pass Success Rate allowed. However, the Owls do limit Pass Explosiveness, which will keep me off Veltkamp’s yardage total.
We’ve also seen other quarterbacks in passing offenses have success against this defense. UTSA's Owen McCown, San Jose State's Emmett Brown and Liberty's Kaidon Salter all threw for at least three scores against Kennesaw State.
This plays right into WKU’s strengths on offense. The Hilltoppers rank 13th nationally in Pass Rate while also coming in at 43rd in Pass EPA.
As for Veltkamp, he has flourished since he took over the starting job following the injury to TJ Finley. He has topped this touchdown mark in three of his five starts, which includes every game against Conference USA opposition.
We have the whole club looking at him, and as Flo Rida would say, I'm not expecting Veltkamp to go low, low, low on passing scores.
Pick: Caden Veltkamp 3+ Passing Touchdowns (+130 · Play to +105)
Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Start Time, TV Channel, How to Watch
| Location: | Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, KY |
| Date: | Wednesday, Oct. 30 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN2 |
Kennesaw State meets Western Kentucky in Bowling Green on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Betting Trends
- 27% of bets and 67% of the money are on Western Kentucky to cover the spread
- 84% of bets and 41% of the money on the moneyline are on Western Kentucky to win outright
- 75% of bets and 79% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NCAAF public betting & money percentages page.
Kennesaw State vs. Western Kentucky Weather
