Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction, 8/23/2025 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Sam Houston Bearkats vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Date: Saturday, August 23, 2025

Location: Houchens Industries in Bowling Green, KY

TV: CBSSN

Odds/Point Spread: Hilltoppers (-10.5)

Total/Over-Under: 62.5

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (8-6 last year) will try to defeat the Sam Houston Bearkats (10-3 last season) at Houchens Industries on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Sam Houston opens this matchup as 10.5-point underdogs. The over/under comes in at 62.5.

The Sam Houston Bearkats finished the season having a 10-3 mark. The last time they took the field, the Bearkats faced the Georgia Southern Eagles and notched a win by a score of 31-26. In all, they tallied 60 plays which converted into 267 yards. The Sam Houston Bearkats ran the football 32 different times and tallied 54 yds, which is an average of 1.7 yards per tote. When it came to stopping the run, the Bearkats gave up 181 yards on 42 attempts, which is an average of 4.3 yds per rush surrendered. Sam Houston allowed 20 completions on 35 tries for 212 yds, and a completion percentage of 57.1%.

In terms of putting points on the board, the Sam Houston Bearkats averaged 23.8 points per contest. As a unit they averaged 179.8 yds via the ground game, which ranked them 41st in Division 1. The Bearkats racked up 4,523 total yards for last season. Sam Houston totaled 16 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns. Sam Houston amassed 244 1st downs as a unit, and they were called for 60 penalties for 493 yards. They turned the football over 16 times.

The Bearkats ranked 22nd in D-1 when it comes to their opponents scoring, allowing 20.5 PPG. They gave up an average of 4.0 yards per run and 144.5 rushing yards per contest last season. In total, they allowed 1,879 rushing yards through 13 outings. Regarding passing yardage, the Bearkats gave up 2,301 yards which ranked them 16th in Division 1. Over the course of their 13 games played last season, they allowed 177.0 yards per game via the pass and allowed a completion percentage of 57.3%. They yielded 321.5 yards per contest which ranked them 22nd in Division 1. They relinquished 14 touchdowns through the air in addition to 17 running touchdowns.

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The Hilltoppers finished the season with a 8-6 record. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Hilltoppers took a loss by a final score of 27-17 against the James Madison Dukes. The Hilltoppers finished the contest with 318 yds and they ran 59 plays (5.4 yards per play). Western Kentucky ran the ball for 0.8 yards per tote, finishing with a total of 16 yds on 20 attempts. Western Kentucky conceded 46 run attempts for 212 yds (4.6 yards per carry). The Hilltoppers secondary allowed a completion percentage of 70.8%, surrendering 182 yds on 17 out of 24 through the air.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers averaged 373.5 yards/outing, which ranked them 82nd in Division 1. The Western Kentucky offense racked up 578 penalty yds on 57 violations, which ranked them 124th in college football in terms of hurting your team. They had an average of 108.9 yards per game on the ground and rushed for 1,525 yards overall. They gave away 13 picks while surrendering 13 fumbles and they earned 270 1st downs. Regarding the points being put on the board, the Hilltoppers ranked 92nd in Division 1 by scoring 24.9 PPG. For the previous season, the Hilltoppers had a total of 3,704 passing yards together with averaging 264.6 passing yards per contest, giving them a rank of 25th in Division 1.

The Hilltoppers surrendered 24.6 PPG, which had them ranked 62nd in D-1. Western Kentucky yielded a total of 3,097 rushing yards (221.2 yards/game) in addition to 27 touchdowns via the rush last season. Overall, they allowed 344 total points. They allowed the opposition 18 touchdowns through the air and 176.1 yards/contest, which had them sitting 9th in D-1. The Hilltoppers defense took the field for 939 plays, which ranked them 117th in college football. They compiled 10 fumbles and 10 picks over the course of the prior season.

Who will win tonight's Bearkats/Hilltoppers college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Bearkats +10.5

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