Sam Houston Bearkats vs Liberty Flames Prediction, 10/8/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Sam Houston Bearkats vs Liberty Flames

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026

Location: Williams Stadium (VA) in Lynchburg, VA

TV: ESPNU

Odds/Point Spread: Flames (-13.5)

Total/Over-Under: 52.5

The Liberty Flames (4-1) will take on the Sam Houston Bearkats (1-3) at Williams Stadium (VA) on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Sam Houston opens this matchup as 13.5-point underdogs. The over/under is 52.5.

The Sam Houston Bearkats head into this game 1-3 this season. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Bearkats played the Texas Tech Red Raiders and took a loss by a score of 49-14. Overall, they ran 65 plays which gave them a total of 269 yards. The Sam Houston Bearkats ran the football 27 different times and accumulated 74 yds, which earned them an average of 2.7 yards per tote. In the running game, the Bearkats gave up 219 yds on 35 attempts, which averages out to 6.3 yards per rush surrendered. Sam Houston relinquished 18 pass completions on 31 attempts for 251 yds, and a completion percentage of 58.1%.

Concerning scoring points, the Sam Houston Bearkats are sitting at 27.8 points per outing. As a team they're holding an average of 100.0 yards on the ground which ranks them 129th in Division 1. The Bearkats have tallied 1,632 total yards this season. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, Sam Houston has amassed 12 touchdowns through the air and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Sam Houston has accrued 78 first downs as a unit, and they have committed 29 penalties for 236 yards. They have surrendered the ball 5 times.

In terms of passing yards, the Bearkats have allowed 581 yds which has them sitting in 4th in D-1. They have conceded 145.3 yards per contest through the air in addition to allowing a completion percentage of 47.8%. Overall, they are giving up 335.5 yards per outing which has them ranked 57th in Division 1. They have conceded 5 touchdowns by air and 6 touchdowns on the ground. They are giving up an average of 5.0 yards per run and 190.3 rushing yards per contest for the season. During this campaign, they have conceded 761 running yards through 4 games. The Bearkats are ranked 76th in the nation when it comes to team defense, giving up 24.0 points per contest.

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The Flames come into this matchup with a record of 4-1 this year. When they last played, the Flames went home victorious with a score of 30-14 against the Delaware Blue Hens. The Flames finished the game with 439 yards while running 72 plays (6.1 yards per play). Liberty rushed for 6.0 yds per carry, finishing the game with 282 yds on 47 attempts. Liberty relinquished 25 rushing attempts for 102 yards (4.1 yds per carry). The Flames pass defense gave up a completion rate of 48.6%, surrendering 257 yds on 17 for 35 through the air.

The Liberty Flames maintain an average of 416.8 yards per game, which has them ranked 54th in the country. The Liberty offense has racked up 398 penalty yards on 44 infractions, ranking them 12th in Division 1 in terms of making mistakes. They are averaging 208.2 yards per game via the rush and have toted the ball for 1,041 yards in total. They have thrown no picks while losing 5 fumbles and they have obtained 107 1st downs. In terms of how much they score, the Flames are sitting 69th in D-1 holding an average of 30.4 points per contest. During this campaign thus far, the Flames have thrown for a total of 1,043 yards via the pass along with holding an average of 208.6 throwing yards per contest, which is ranked 91st in the country.

Liberty has surrendered a total of 628 rushing yards (125.6 yards/game) in addition to 4 touchdowns via the rush for the season. They have allowed the opposition 5 touchdowns from the passing game as well as 173.4 yards per contest, which has them ranked 28th in college football. This year, they have relinquished 89 pts. They have totaled 3 fumbles recovered and 5 picks over the course of the season. The Flames defense has been on the field for 302 plays, which is good for 56th in Division 1. The Flames are relinquishing 17.8 points per game, which has them ranked 33rd in college football.

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

Parlays Pundit's Pick: Take the Flames -13.5

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