The UTSA Roadrunners will look for their first league title when they take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the 2021 Conference USA Championship Game on Friday night. The Roadrunners (11-1, 7-1) earned the C-USA West Division title for the first time when they defeated UAB 34-31 on Nov. 20. They closed out the regular season with a 45-23 loss at North Texas. The Hilltoppers (8-4, 7-1), who won the East Division title for the first time in five years, have won seven in a row, including a 53-21 win at Marshall last Saturday. The all-time series is tied 1-1, with UTSA scoring a 52-46 win on Oct. 9 at Western Kentucky.
Kickoff from The Alamodome in San Antonio is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. The Hilltoppers are three-point favorites in the latest Western Kentucky vs. UTSA odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 72.5. Before making any UTSA vs. Western Kentucky picks, be sure check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,700 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Championship Week 2021 on a 42-28 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on WKU vs. UTSA and just locked in its CFB picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college football odds and betting trends for UTSA vs. WKU:
- Western Kentucky vs. UTSA spread: Western Kentucky -3
- Western Kentucky vs. UTSA over-under: 72.5 points
- Western Kentucky vs. UTSA money line: Western Kentucky -145, UTSA +125
- WKU: The Hilltoppers are 5-0 against the spread in their last five games overall
- UTSA: The Roadrunners are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games following a straight-up loss
Featured Game | UTSA Roadrunners vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Why Western Kentucky can cover
Senior transfer quarterback Bailey Zappe has been helping the Hilltoppers light up the scoreboard ever since he joined them after three seasons at Houston Baptist. Zappe is closing in on 5,000 yards passing. He’s completed 406-of-580 passes (70 percent) for 4,968 yards and 52 touchdowns. He has just nine interceptions and a rating of 168.4. He has also rushed for three scores. In his last four games, he has thrown for 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions, including a 39-for-49 performance for 470 yards and six touchdowns against Florida Atlantic.
His favorite target is also a transfer from Houston Baptist, junior wide receiver Jerreth Sterns. Sterns has caught 127 passes for 1,539 yards (12.1 average) and 12 touchdowns. In the win over Florida Atlantic, he caught 12 passes for 143 yards (11.9 average) and one touchdown. It was his seventh double-digit receptions game of the season. His season high was 17 receptions for 186 yards and a score in a 48-31 loss at No. 17 Michigan State on Oct. 2.
Why UTSA can cover
Despite that, the Hilltoppers are not a lock to cover the WKU vs. UTSA spread. That’s because the Roadrunners are having their finest season since the program was launched in 2011. UTSA is led by senior quarterback Frank Harris, who is a dual threat. He not only has completed 222-of-334 passes (66.5 percent) for 2,688 yards and 23 touchdowns, he has also rushed 94 times for 484 yards (5.1 average) and five TDs. Harris has only been picked off five times this season and has a rating of 153.8.
Also powering the offense is junior running back Sincere McCormick. He has carried 262 times for 1,275 yards (4.9 average) and 12 touchdowns, and has also caught 19 passes for 149 yards (7.8 average). McCormick has rushed for over 100 yards in seven games, including a season-high 184 yards on 41 carries (4.5 average) and three touchdowns at Memphis on Sept. 25. He also caught three passes for 33 yards in that game.
How to make Western Kentucky vs. UTSA picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 68 combined points. It also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only get the model’s WKU vs. UTSA pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Western Kentucky vs. UTSA? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Western Kentucky vs. UTSA spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished the past five-plus years up nearly $3,700 on its FBS college football picks, and find out.
