The Week 0 college football schedule includes a Conference USA showdown with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers hosting the Sam Houston Bearkats on Saturday. Both teams finished with a 6-2 record in the league last season, and the Hilltoppers suffered a lopsided 52-12 defeat to Jacksonville State in the CUSA Championship Game. However, Western Kentucky recorded a comfortable 31-14 victory over Sam Houston in 2024 behind a balanced offensive attack.
Kickoff from Houchens Industries-L. T. Smith Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Western Kentucky is favored by 10.5 points in the latest Sam Houston vs. Western Kentucky odds at Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 61.5. Before making any Western Kentucky vs. Sam Houston picks, be sure to see the Week 0 college football predictions from SportsLine’s proven model and check out the latest college football odds. Use the latest Caesars Sportsbook promo code CBS20X to get 20 100% sportsbook profit boosts with a $1 bet.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and was a profitable 27-16 combined on money-line and over/under college football picks in 2024.
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Here are the model’s three best bets for Sam Houston vs. Western Kentucky:
- Sam Houston +10.5
- Under 61.5 points
- Western Kentucky Under 36.5 total team points
Sam Houston +10.5
Sam Houston featured one of the nation’s top-ranked defenses last season. The Bearkats ranked 13th in the country in passing yards allowed (177.0) and 22nd in total defense (321.5). Western Kentucky, meanwhile, stumbled down the stretch last season, scoring 21 or fewer points in its final five games. The Bearkats are 5-0 against the spread in their last five season-openers, and the total has gone under in six of Western Kentucky’s last seven games at home, which bodes well for Sam Houston’s suffocating defense. SportsLine’s model is backing Sam Houston to cover in well over 50% of simulations.
Under 61.5 points
Western Kentucky averaged 24.9 points per game last season, while Sam Houston scored 23.8 points on average. These teams combined for only 45 points in 2024, a game which Western Kentucky won, 31-14. Plus, the total has gone under in five of Sam Houston’s last five games against a Conference USA opponent. SportsLine’s model is projecting these two teams will combine for 50 points, helping the under hit in more than 70% of simulations.
Western Kentucky Under 36.5 total team points
The Hilltoppers have gone bowling in five of the six years that Tyson Helton has been at the helm, and Western Kentucky had a stretch after a 63-0 loss to Alabama to start the season where the offense averaged 34.0 points over an eight-game span. However, things fizzled down the stretch, and Helton’s offense was held to 76 points over the final five games of the season. The Hilltoppers put up 411 yards of total offense in their win over the Bearkats on Oct. 16, but only managed 31 points. Now they’ve made almost wholesale changes offensively, and the model predicts they only score 29 points on average. You can find this prop listed at -110 on DraftKings and even play an alternate total of as low as 32.5 with the under paying +155.
More college football picks for Week 0
You’ve seen the model’s top WKU vs. Sam Houston picks for Week 0. Now, get against the spread, total and money-line picks for every Week 0 CFB game here, all from the model that’s simulated every game 10,000 times.
Want more from SportsLine? See the top Week 0 college football picks from former Vegas bookmaker Micah Roberts, who is on a 14-7 roll (+649) on his CFB ATS picks.
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