Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss: New Orleans Bowl Betting Preview and Picks
The New Orleans Bowl is set to take place on Tuesday, featuring the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The game will be held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a 5:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN. Let's delve into the NCAA football odds for the Western Kentucky vs. Southern Miss matchup and provide expert college football picks and predictions for the best bets.
Western Kentucky finished third in Conference USA with a 6-2 conference record. They lost their last two regular-season games, including a 37-34 defeat to Jacksonville State as 1.5-point road favorites. On the other hand, Southern Miss finished fourth in the Sun Belt with a 5-3 conference record. They lost their final three games, with their last game being a 28-18 home loss to Troy as 7-point favorites.
The Hilltoppers have a perfect 4-0 record against Southern Miss, with their most recent victory being a 10-7 win in 2020. Both teams have faced some uncertainty, with Southern Miss having an interim coach due to Charles Huff's departure to Memphis. Western Kentucky has two quarterbacks in contention to start the game, with Maverick McIvor and Rodney Tisdale Jr. both preparing for the role.
Western Kentucky and Southern Miss both averaged 29.8 points per game, with the Hilltoppers allowing 23.4 points per game and the Golden Eagles allowing 27.4 points per game. The Hilltoppers have the advantage of playing in their seventh consecutive bowl game, while the Golden Eagles are back after a 1-11 season in 2024.
In terms of betting, the spread for this game is only 1.5 points, making it a close matchup. However, considering Western Kentucky's track record of winning games by at least 3 points and Southern Miss losing all their games by at least a touchdown, betting on Western Kentucky -1.5 (-105) seems like a favorable option. Additionally, with a projected total of 59.5 points, betting on the Under 59.5 (-110) could be a wise choice given the teams' scoring trends.
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