by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022
Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Venue: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: USA -4, WKU +4; Over/Under: 56 points
Bet365: Point Spread: USA -4, WKU +4; Over/Under: 56 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: USA -4, WKU +4; Over/Under: 56 points
Season Record
South Alabama Jaguars: 10-2 (7-1) (2nd place, Sun Belt West)
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: 8-5 (6-2) (2nd place, C-USA)
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Recent Form
South Alabama Jaguars: won their last game at home against the Old Dominion Monarchs 27-20.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: won their last game on the road against the Florida Atlantic Owls 32-31 in overtime.
South Alabama Jaguars vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Preview and Analysis
South Alabama is entering this New Orleans Bowl game with a 10-2 record overall to end their college football season and they will be playing their 1st neutral site game of the season here as they are 0-0 in those games this year. They won against the ODU Monarchs in their last game at home 27-20. Carter Bradley started that game at QB and he completed 17/29 passes for 190 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. La'Damian Webb led the team in rushing with 74 yards on 18 rushing attempts. Jalen Wayne led the team in receiving with 63 yards and 1 TD on 3 receptions. Jaden Voisin led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles. Ed Smith IV, Jamie Sheriff, and Brock Higdon each led the defense in sacks with 1 while no one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Western Kentucky is entering this New Orleans Bowl game with an 8-5 record overall to finish their college football season and they will be playing their 1st neutral site game of the season as they are 0-0 in those games this year. They won against the FAU Owls in their last game on the road 32-31 in OT. Austin Reed started that game at QB and he completed 28/52 passes for 410 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Davion Ervin-Poindexter led the team in rushing with 108 yards on 17 carries. Malachi Corley led the team in receiving with 127 yards and 2 TDs on 8 receptions while Jaylen Hall had 118 receiving yards and 1 TD on 8 catches. Will Ignont led the defense in that game with 4 solo tackles and 5 assisted tackles. No one on the defense recorded a sack for them while no one on the defense came away with an interception in that one.
South Alabama vs Western Kentucky Prediction
The current betting odds have South Alabama listed as a 4 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. South Alabama put together a much better season than Western Kentucky did with only 2 losses all year but both teams still played very well and both were close to making it into their Conference Championship games. Western Kentucky has had a much better Bowl record over the years as they are 5-3 in Bowl games in their history and that is a lot better than South Alabama. South Alabama has only appeared in 2 Bowl games in their school history and they are 0-2 in those games. They will be looking for their 1st ever Bowl win here and that would be a great way for them to cap off a great season. Western Kentucky does have the advantage in Bowl games with a much better record but South Alabama was already a better team than them this season and now Western Kentucky will be without their starting QB here who they had all season since he has entered the transfer portal. Western Kentucky is going to be at a big disadvantage here without their QB who played the entire season and South Alabama is going to be coming for that 1st ever Bowl win to finish off a great season on a good note. The best way to place a bet here is on South Alabama to cover the spread in this game.
South Alabama Western Kentucky Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Wednesday, December 21, 2022 (9:00 pm ET start time) is South Alabama 35 Western Kentucky 24.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
South Alabama Jaguars: 10-22 ATS off a home win. 2-9 ATS off 2 straight wins against conference rivals. 22-13 UNDER after 2 or more consecutive losses against the spread.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: 21-9 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points. 12-5 ATS after playing a game where 60 total points or more were scored. 8-3 UNDER in games played on turf.
Key Injuries
South Alabama Jaguars: K. Gallmon Jr. (S) out for season - Pectoral. D. Bivins (RB) out for season - Neck.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: None.
Notable Quotes
“We are so excited to be a part of the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. This is a game that has great prestige in the college football landscape. It is a game that I got the opportunity to play in as a player and that was a special thing to be a part of, and now to bring a team that has worked so hard to get to 10-2 and represent the Sun Belt Conference is an awesome accomplishment for this program. It is certainly something that our community, fan base, and the university are all excited to participate in.” - Kane Wommack on his team’s upcoming Bowl game here against WKU.
“Playing a fantastic South Alabama team – it should be a great matchup. They’ve done a great job there. So really, really looking forward to an exciting game. I know our guys always look forward to these bowl games and competing in these bowl games, so it’s just an honor to be a part of that and we’ll get after it and see what happens.” - Tyson Helton on his team’s upcoming Bowl game against USA here.
Starting Lineups
South Alabama Jaguars
WR Wayne, Jalen
WR Voisin, Devin
WR Lacy, Caullin
TE Sefcik, Lincoln
TE Crum, Brandon
QB Bradley, Carter
RB Webb, La'Damian
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
WR Hall, Jaylen
WR Davis, Daewood
WR Corley, Malachi
WR Mathison, Michael
TE Beljan, Joey
QB Veltkamp, Caden
RB Robichaux, Kye
Statistical Leaders
South Alabama Jaguars
Passing: C. Bradley (2983)
Rushing: L. Webb (1010)
Receiving: J. Wayne (797)
Touchdowns: L. Webb (14)
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Passing: A. Reed (4250)
Rushing: K. Robichaux (496)
Receiving: M. Corley (1181)
Touchdowns: M. Corley (9)
Coaches:
South Alabama Jaguars: Kane Wommack (2nd season)
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: Tyson Helton (4th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
