The Kennesaw State Owls take on the Western Michigan Broncos in the 2025 Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, South Carolina. Friday's kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET on ESPN.
Western Michigan is favored by 3 points on the spread with a moneyline of -165. Kennesaw State, meanwhile, enters as a +3 underdog and is +140 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 47.5 total points.
Here’s my Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan prediction and college football picks for Friday, December 19.
Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Prediction
- Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan Pick: Kennesaw State Team Total Under 21.5
My Western Michigan vs. Kennesaw State best bet is on the Owls to go under their team total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Odds
| Kennesaw State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | +140 |
| Western Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | -165 |
- Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Spread: Western Michigan -3, Kennesaw State +3
- Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Over/Under: 47.5 Points
- Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Moneyline: Kennesaw State +140, Western Michigan -165
Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Myrtle Beach Bowl Preview
Kennesaw State Owls Betting Preview: Conference USA Champs
Kennesaw State had one of the more impressive turnarounds at the Group of 5 level, as the Owls went from one of the lowest-rated FBS teams in the preseason to Conference USA champs under head coach Jerry Mack.
The Owls defeated Jacksonville State in the CUSA Championship and have now won 10 games this season, vastly exceeding expectations.
The offense has used explosive passing from quarterback Amari Odom, who was one of the surprise quarterbacks in CUSA this season. Odom threw for 2,385 yards with 18 touchdown passes while splitting reps with Dexter Williams.
His favorite targets are Gabriel Benyard and Christian Moss. These two receivers combined for nearly 1,600 receiving yards and were a threat to score from anywhere on the field all season.
Kennesaw State also uses the quarterback in the run game, which adds a nice element to a decent ground attack.
The Owls defense benefited from the offense jumping on its opponents early and often. This unit routinely played with a lead in many second halves this season.
While the defense didn't excel at anything, it was serviceable both against the run and the pass.
The Owls played their best football on third downs and in the red zone. Kennesaw State allowed just 28 red-zone touchdowns in 49 trips and allowed just 38% of third downs to be converted.
I expect a motivated Kennesaw defense in this one.
Western Michigan Broncos Betting Preview: MAC Champs
Western Michigan won the MAC Championship game by avenging a 23-13 loss to Miami (OH).
The Broncos defense was the best and most consistent unit in the MAC all season, holding eight of their nine conference opponents under 21 points behind a strong and pass rush and run stop unit.
Defensive end Nadame Tucker led the team with 14.5 sacks. In fact, WMU registered 38 as a team while allowing just 3.6 yards per carry.
The coverage unit was also strong, and I expect this group to have a strong showing in its bowl game.
The offense, meanwhile, was a work in progress all season, and it lacked creativity and explosiveness at times.
The Broncos deployed a rush-heavy attack, running the ball on 66% of offensive snaps. The ground attack utilizes both quarterback Broc Lowry and running back Jalen Buckley, as the duo combined to rush for 1,769 yards and 22 touchdowns.
We didn’t see a ton of explosiveness from this offense. The passing game was lacking at times, but the offensive line played very cohesive football and won the trench battle nearly every week in MAC play.
I expect the ground attack to find success in this one.
Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Pick, Betting Analysis
Western Michigan opened as a 4-point favorite with a total that has been bet down from 52.5 on the open down to 47.5. I agree with the move and have a play logged in the Action App supporting the under position.
While much of the value has been eaten up with the line move, I also like Kennesaw State to go under its team total of 21.5.
The Owls are so dependent on explosive pass plays to effectively move the ball, and they really struggled putting together methodical drives.
WMU doesn’t give up explosiveness on the defensive end, ranking 61st nationally in that metric. The Broncos were 33rd nationally in yards per pass surrendered and 54th in preventing pass explosives — not bad for a MAC defense.
Kennesaw State doesn’t have the most proficient ground attack, and the WMU defense is going to be prepped and ready for the QB run game, as it sees a similar scheme run by its own offense.
It's going to be tough for KSU to generate anything on the ground here, and I'm not confident in its offensive line’s ability to protect Odom and give him time. WMU was elite on third down and in the red zone defensively, and the pressure will affect Kennesaw State’s timing on deep shots.
The Western Michigan offense is going to move the ball on the ground. It won’t be explosive or sexy, but it will be methodical, and those drives will consume a lot of clock.
I expect WMU to dominate the time of possession and wear down the KSU front in the late stages of the second half. Expect Buckley and Lowry to extend second-half drives on the ground and for WMU to live in third-and-short situations here.
WMU is the better team with the better defense, and I expect that defense to dictate the terms in this one. Kennesaw won't be able to sustain enough drives and score enough to exceed its team total.
I like the full-game under and for Kennesaw State to stay under its team total.
Pick: Kennesaw State Team Total Under 21.5
