Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Picks and Prediction for Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Use Code SSWC We have an exciting Conference USA game for Week 9 of the college football season as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will be travelling to Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Louisiana, on Tuesday evening to face off against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in our Hilltoppers vs Bulldogs prediction. The game is airing on CBSSN and these teams are some of the best in the conference so far this season. The Hilltoppers (5-2, 3-1 CUSA) are coming off a 25-6 home loss against the Florida International Panthers last Tuesday. The Bulldogs (4-2, 2-1) are coming off Oct. 9’s 35-7 road loss against the Kennesaw State Owls. Before kickoff: NCAAF predictions for Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in one clean snapshot.
Hilltoppers Looking to Stay Hot
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are coming off a tough 25-6 home loss against the Florida International Panthers last time out. The Hilltoppers struggled offensively as the team scored six points on 341 total yards of offense (225 passing, 116 rushing). Quarterback Maverick McIvor completed 20-of-31 passes for 159 yards with three interceptions as well as six rushes for 12 yards (2.0 yards per carry). The offense went 6-for-15 on third downs throughout the game and despite the inability to put up points, they were able to run the football for 5.0 yards per carry.
The defense struggled to get going as theyallowed the Panthers to score 25 points on 453 total yards (204 passing, 249 rushing). The defense struggled to get off the field as FIU had possession for 34:38 throughout the day as well. The defense struggled to make big plays as the Panthers were able to average 6.6 yards per pass and 6.4 yards per carry. The Western Kentucky defense failed to record any takeaways in the game, so it will be interesting to see if they can improve in that aspect.
McIvor is completing 67.3% of his passes for 1,863 yards with 12 touchdown passes and five picks this season. WR Matthew Henry leads the passing attack with 435 yards (18.9 ypc) and three TDs. Western Kentucky has been doing well offensively as they are 60th in the NCAA with 29.7 points per game. Their defense is allowing 23.1 points per game, which places them in 61st place throughout college football. They also allow 403.1 yards per game to rank 109th and they are terrible at stopping the run as they are 132nd with 5.6 yards per rush.
Sign Up Get $30 Premium Picks Credit + Exclusive Offers
Subscribe Now
Injury Report for Western Kentucky
- Quarterback Tucker Parks: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Wide receiver Jairus Mack: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Tight end Justin Wolf: Undisclosed (Questionable)
Bulldogs looking to back on track
The Louisville Tech Bulldogs are looking to recover from last week’s 35-7 road loss against the Kennesaw State Owls. They were a 4.5-point road favorite in that game and had just won three straight games. Their offense struggled to get too much going as they recorded seven points on 305 total yards of offense (169 passing, 136 rushing) while recording 21 total first downs. Quarterback Evan Bullock came off the bench and finished the game by completing 11-of-21 passes for 112 yards with zero passing touchdowns to one interception while also adding eight rushes for one yard (0.1 yards per carry). The team also turned the ball over twice as they threw a pair of interceptions. Their running game was able to hold its own as he averaged 3.4 yards per carry with a touchdown as well.
The defense allowed 35 points on 400 total yards (290 passing, 110 rushing) and the team was 9-for-14 on third downs against the Bulldogs. The defense failed to record any takeaways and the Owls were able to record 8.1 yards per pass as well as 4.1 yards per rushing attempt. With the defense not able to get too many stops, they need to significantly improve on this side of the field.
Blake Baker is expected to be the starting quarterback as he is completing 61.0% of his passes for 649 yards with three TDs and one pick this season. RB Clay Thevenin is leading the rushing attack as he has 61 rushes for 261 yards (4.3 ypc) and three rushing touchdowns. Louisiana Tech has been unable to score too much as they are 91st in the NCAA with 24.8 points per game. Their defense is allowing 17.2 points per game, which places them 133rd in college football. They also allow 355.2 yards per game to rank 59th and they are doing well in stopping the pass, giving up 11.1 yards per completion (65th).
Injury Report for Louisiana Tech
- Offensive lineman Jonathan Denis: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Defensive lineman Judd Rouyea: Undisclosed (OUT)
- Linebacker Kolbe Fields: Undisclosed (OUT)
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Pick
Spread Pick for Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech
- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to win (5 units)
Both teams are doing well so far this season, but Western Kentucky should have a slight advantage heading into this game. The quarterback situation for the Bulldogs makes things a lot more difficult to trust them. Maverick McIvor has been one of the better quarterbacks in the conference and should be able to dominate, even against the Louisiana Tech defense. The ability to run the football also shows a gap with these offenses as the Hilltoppers are averaging 4.1 yards per rushing attempt while the Bulldogs are carrying the football for 4.1 yards per try. On the defensive side of the field, these teams are on completely different levels in terms of defending the pass. All in all, go with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers to cover the spread on the road.
Over/Under Pick for Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech
- UNDER (4 units)
When these teams played just a year ago, they were only able to score a total of 19 points, which shows a lack of ability to drive the football. The Hilltoppers have Maverick McIvor coming off a game where he threw three interceptions after not throwing any in the previous two games. The Bulldogs do not have any quarterback that has been able to throw the football well as they have five passing touchdowns to four interceptions as a team. The under has hit in four of the first seven Western Kentucky games as well as in five of the opening six games for Louisiana Tech, so go with the UNDER to hit here.
Betting on College Football?
- Bet with other College Football fans at the best sportsbooks
- Sign up today and get started with the latest college football sportsbook promos
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days
