The West Georgia Wolves take on the Kennesaw State Owls in Kennesaw, Georgia, on Thursday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Kennesaw State is favored by -22.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -3000. West Georgia, meanwhile, enters as a _22.5 underdog and is +1200 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 51.5 total points.
Here’s my West Georgia vs. Kennesaw State prediction and college football picks for Thursday, September 3.
West Georgia vs Kennesaw State Prediction
- West Georgia vs. Kennesaw State Pick: Under 51.5
My Kennesaw State vs. West Georgia best bet is on both teams to go under the total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
West Georgia vs Kennesaw State Odds
| West Georgia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+22.5 -112 | 51.5 -114o / -106u | +1200 |
| Kennesaw State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-22.5 -108 | 51.5 -114o / -106u | -3000 |
- West Georgia vs Kennesaw State point spread: Kennesaw State -22.5 (-112), West Georgia +22.5 (-108)
- West Georgia vs Kennesaw State over/under: 51.5 (-114o / -106u)
- West Georgia vs Kennesaw State moneyline: West Georgia +1200, Kennesaw State -3000
West Georgia vs Kennesaw State NCAAF Preview
West Georgia Wolves Betting Preview: Back for Week 1
West Georgia put the FCS community on notice last year with a pair of road wins at Samford and Nicholls while opening 2025 with a 5-0 record both straight up and against the number.
After finishing 8-3, the coaching staff bolted for Mercer, so Steve Englehart came over from Presbyterian along with a majority of his coaching staff.
Englehart was suspended for the opener due to compliance violations, and that suspension has been extended to the first six games of this season.
The offense was jerky in the opener against Chattanooga, as the Wolves couldn't get anything going on the ground. West Georgia ran for just 38 yards and averaged 2.0 yards per carry.
Quarterback Collin Hurst completed 19-of-30 passes for just 124 yards, and outside of a trick play that resulted in a 57-yard double-pass, UWG registered just one explosive play.
The Wolves offense has slowed the tempo considerably. This unit ran just 50 total plays in the opener while putting together only one touchdown drive.
The defense hung in there against the Mocs' run game, which saw 51 carries go for 149 yards with a long of just 15. Still, UWG created a bit of drive-stopping Havoc, registering four sacks and six tackles for loss.
The opener was a slow-burning grind, and I expect this game between Kennesaw State and West Georgia to follow suit.
Kennesaw State Owls Betting Preview: A New Season
Kennesaw State’s offense found success last year behind the electric dual-threat play of quarterback Amari Odom, who was such a difference-maker game in and game out for the Owls.
The offense ranked 16th nationally in passing down explosiveness, as Gabriel Benyard and Christian Moss rounded into game-changing deep threats.
Yet, the offense struggled often in standard down situations.
Despite offensive coordinator Mitch Militello coming from the Josh Heupel coaching tree, Kennesaw State was a run-oriented offense and should continue to be this year.
Rickie Collins takes over the quarterback duties after transferring in from Syracuse in what amounted to a swap, as Odom plays for the Orange now.
The offense loses its top five running backs and top four receivers, but the offensive line remains in good shape after adding three transfers in the spring.
The defense is really shored up on the back end with a pair of linebackers and three secondary players returning from last season.
Tywon Christopher and Baron Hopson are one of the best linebacker duos in CUSA, and Kody Jones is a versatile player at the nickel position.
The cornerbacks have great size and physicality. The defensive line is being rebuilt and might not produce as much Havoc as we saw last season, but I expect this bunch to perform well in the season opener on Thursday night.
West Georgia vs Kennesaw State Pick, Betting Analysis
Neither one of these teams should register explosive plays at a high frequency in this game.
Kennesaw State thrived on that last year with a talented group of skill players, but the talent level is way down, and I don't trust Collins to deliver the deep shots.
The Owls will establish the line of scrimmage and run the ball well here, which should be all they need to keep drives moving and find scoring opportunities.
KSU will be a defensive team this year and should establish its defensive identity in this matchup. We saw Kennesaw struggle offensively in its first two games last year, scoring just nine points in each while registering just 27 against FCS Merrimack.
Five of its first six games last year trended hard toward the under, and it was only after racking up pass explosives late in the year that the scoring took off. I'm betting we don't see those explosives here, so I'm diving in on the under.
Pick: Under 51.5
West Georgia vs Kennesaw State Betting Trends
