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Saturday brings the first college football slate of the 2022 season. In the earliest kickoff of the day, Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green takes the stage for a non-conference matchup. The Austin Peay Governors visit the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the opener for both programs. Austin Peay finished 6-5 last season, changing conferences and debuting in the ASUN conference in FCS. WKU finished 9-5 in 2021, reaching the Conference USA title game behind a late-season surge.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Hilltoppers as 21.5-point home favorites for this noon ET kickoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 67.5 in the latest Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky odds. Before making any Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky picks or CFB predictions, you need to see what SportsLine college football expert Zack Cimini has to say.
A Las Vegas handicapper who’s never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Zack excels in multiple sports. Over the past two NBA seasons, Zack is 134-101-1, returning $2,296 to $100 players. All-time in MLB, Zack sports a record of 535-468-6, returning $2,962 to $100 bettors. All-time in college basketball, Zack is 423-375, returning $1,331 to $100 players.
In addition, Zack is 5-0 in his last five college football picks involving Western Kentucky, returning $500 to $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Cimini has set his sights on Austin Peay vs. WKU and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several college football odds and betting lines for WKU vs. Austin Peay:
- Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky spread: WKU -21.5
- Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky over/under: 67.5 points
- AP: The Governors are joining ASUN this season
- WK: The Hilltoppers won eight of the last nine games in 2021
- Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky picks: See picks here.
Why Austin Peay can cover
Austin Peay projects to benefit from the immense personnel losses for Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers lose Bailey Zappe from last year’s team, and the talented quarterback accounted for almost 6,000 passing yards and more than 60 touchdowns in 2021. Western Kentucky also returns only four offensive starters, losing its top two receivers, both of whom were highly productive.
On the ground, WKU was not at all prolific last season, averaging only 93.8 rushing yards per game, and the Hilltoppers’ defense could be vulnerable. Western Kentucky allowed 422.5 total yards per game in 2021, including more than 160 rushing yards per game and 27 rushing touchdowns. The Hilltoppers yielded almost 29 points per game last season, and Austin Peay concluded the 2021 campaign on a high note, winning its final three games before changing conferences.
Why Western Kentucky can cover
Western Kentucky’s roster is a cut above that of Austin Peay, and the Governors historically struggle against FBS opponents. In fact, Austin Peay is on a 28-game losing streak against FBS competition, losing by 37.8 points per game in those defeats. The Governors have lost the last five games against FBS opponents by at least 35 points and have not defeated an FBS team since 1987. Western Kentucky won eight of its last nine games last season, including a three-touchdown win over Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl.
The Hilltoppers do lose considerable talent from the 2021 offense, but the infrastructure is in place from a group that led FBS in passing yards and passing touchdowns. Western Kentucky also finished the 2021 season at No. 2 in the country in total yards and points per game, and the Hilltoppers have an experienced quarterback in grad transfer Austin Reed.
How to make Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky picks
For Saturday’s contest, Cimini has identified a critical X-factor he believes makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s sharing what it is, and which side of the Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky spread he’s backing, only at SportsLine.
So who wins Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky? And which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Austin Peay vs. Western Kentucky spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the expert who has crushed his college football picks, and find out.
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