The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in Ruston, Louisiana, on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Louisiana Tech is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -170. Western Kentucky, meanwhile, comes in as a +3.5 underdog and is +145 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 50 points.
Here’s my Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech prediction and college football picks for Tuesday, October 21.
Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Prediction
- Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech Pick: 1H Under 25.5 (Play to 24.5)
My Louisiana Tech vs. Western Kentucky best bet is on both teams to go under the first-half total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Odds
| Western Kentucky Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 50 -110o / -110u | +145 |
| Louisiana Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 50 -110o / -110u | -170 |
- Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Spread: Louisiana Tech -3.5, Western Kentucky +3.5
- Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Over/Under: 50 Points
- Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Moneyline: Western Kentucky +145, Louisiana Tech -170
Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech College Football Betting Preview
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Preview: On the Decline
Western Kentucky had high hopes coming into 2025 with a resurgent offense led by offensive coordinator Rick Bowie and quarterback Maverick McIvor, both coming over after a successful stint at Abilene Christian.
The offense was firing on all cylinders early, as WKU scored 96 points in its first two games while blowing out Sam Houston and North Alabama.
Since that point, however, the offense has been stuck in a funk. The Toppers hit rock bottom last week when they scored only six points at home in a loss to FIU.
The ground attack hasn't been overly effective this year, but the passing numbers are also down significantly. McIvor has thrown for 300 yards or more in just one of his last five contests with a 4:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio during that span.
Transfer receiver Matthew Henry exploded in his Hilltopper debut but hasn't had a 100-yard receiving game since. He's averaging just 2.5 receptions per game during that span.
Defensively, Western Kentucky has played well against the pass, but the Achilles' heel has been stopping the run.
WKU is surrendering 238 rushing yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry this season, grading out as the second-worst tackling team in CUSA, per PFF.
LA Tech will certainly look to establish the run at home in this one given the uncertainty it has at the quarterback position.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Betting Preview: Defense Elevating Play
Louisiana Tech was well on its way to grabbing CUSA by the jugular, but Kennesaw State had other plans last time out.
The Bulldogs looked solid early, but after quarterback Blake Baker exited due to injury, the entire team lost its energy. We saw the defense lose its mojo and the offense could never get back into rhythm in a blowout loss.
The Louisiana Tech offense has been a real jerky operation during the entire Sonny Cumbie era, and this season hasn't seen the benefit of small tweaks implemented over the summer.
The Bulldogs have averaged 24 points per game this season but have benefitted from five defensive touchdowns to inflate the point total.
Poor offensive line play and a lack of explosive playmakers on the outside have prohibited the Air Raid attack from truly taking off.
However, LA Tech does have one of the best defenses in the conference.
The Bulldogs' stop unit has allowed just 106 rushing yards per game and 3.4 yards per carry with two rushing touchdowns against them all season.
The secondary has graded out very well, frustrating quarterbacks all season while accruing 11 interceptions this season. This coverage unit will give WKU fits on Tuesday night.
Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Pick, Betting Analysis
The line on this one has bounced between LA Tech -3 and -3.5, with the total set at 50.5. I like the first-half under here at 25.5.
Western Kentucky has gone through plenty of slow starts during the majority of its offensive funk. In fact, this team is scoring just 7.1 points in the first half on average over its last five contests.
The Tops have needed long, methodical drives to move the football and have been in third-down situations quite often this season due to a lack of early down success.
Louisiana Tech ranks seventh nationally in standard down EPA Per Play allowed and 44th in early-down Success Rate allowed. The Bulldogs will make life very difficult for this Western Kentucky offense.
I expect the defense to be locked in here after having some extra time to prep for this one, especially after the embarrassing performance in the second half against Kennesaw State the last time out.
We have uncertainty at quarterback for LA Tech, as both Baker and backup Trey Kukuk are questionable coming in. In all, three signal-callers could end up playing.
The script has to be for LA Tech to run the ball a lot against a WKU front seven that ranks 95th nationally in Rushing Success Rate allowed and 103rd in EPA Per Rush allowed.
I expect conservative play calling from Louisiana Tech, as the turnovers really cost it last time out. We should see efficient running from the Bulldogs, but I don't see many big plays coming from an offense that ranks 115th nationally in rushing explosiveness.
LA Tech's aerial attack has been as inefficient as can be. The Bulldogs haven't thrown for more than 238 yards in a game this season, and the QBs have just five passing touchdowns.
LT ranks 133rd nationally in Passing Success Rate and 133rd in passing explosiveness. WKU has been strong against the pass this season, allowing just 200 yards per game through the air this season.
On paper, this might seem like a high-scoring affair, and we could see the barrage come in the second half.
However, with how these two fared in their latest contests, I'd expect conservative play-calling and a lack of explosiveness early on both sides.
Pick: 1H Under 25.5 (Play to 24.5)
Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Betting Trends
