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Austin Peay vs Western Kentucky Odds, Spread and Picks

John Perrotto

by John Perrotto in College Football

Updated Aug 25, 2022 · 7:40 AM PDT

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers head coach Tyson Helton celebrates with the trophy
Dec 18, 2021; Boca Raton, Florida, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers head coach Tyson Helton celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Appalachian State Mountaineers in the 2021 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
  • Western Kentucky is a 21.5-point home favorite over Austin Peay on Saturday, August 27
  • This will be the first game of the 2022 college football season in Week 0
  • A look at the matchup and odds can be found below with a pick

Visiting Austin Peay and Western Kentucky kick off the college football season at 12 p.m. ET Saturday (Aug 27) when they meet at Houchens Industries L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Ky.

Western Kentucky is a 21.5-point favorite in a game that will be televised by the CBS Sports Network. It should be a warm day on The Hill with a high temperature of 91 degrees forecast and sunny skies, though there is a 20% chance of showers or thunderstorms.

Austin Peay of the FCS was 6-5 last season. Western Kentucky went 9-5 and played in the Conference USA Championship Game before beating Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Austin Peay vs Western Kentucky Odds

Team Moneyline Spread Total
Austin Peay OFF +21.5 (-110) Over 67.5 (-110)
Western Kentucky OFF -21.5 (-110) Under 67.5 (-110)

Odds as of August 25th at Caesars Sportsbook.

 

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Austin Peay Betting Outlook

Austin Peay is expected to finish in the middle of the pack in the Ohio Valley Conference, though it has its top receiver back from last season in sophomore wideout Drae McCrae. He had 53 receptions for 867 yards and eight touchdowns.

Junior Sheldon Layman takes over as the starting quarterback after being the primary backup in 2021. He was 34-of-57 passing for a 59.6% completion percentage a year ago while throwing for 353 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.

McCrae was named to the preseason All-OVC team along with defensive lineman Chuck Manning, a graduate transfer from North Carolina Central, and defensive back Shamari Simmons.

Simmons led the conference with 10 pass breakups last season. He also had four interceptions for the Governors, whose 27 takeaways were the fifth-most in the FCS.

Sophomore kicker Maddux Trujillo was 14 of 18 on field goal attempts last season. He tied the school record for makes and set a program best for accuracy at 77.8%.

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Western Kentucky Betting Outlook

Graduate transfer Austin Reed from Division II West Florida takes over as the starting quarterback and has a very tough act to follow.

Bailey Zappe led the nation with 5,967 passing yards and 62 touchdown passes last year. After having arguably one of the best seasons in history by a college quarterback, Zappe was selected in the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.

West Virginia transfer Jaret Doege was considered the frontrunner for QB1 when training camp opened. However, he then opted to transfer again, this time to Troy.

Western Kentucky offensive coordinator Zach Kittley left for the same job at Texas Tech after last season. The Hilltoppers promoted three assistants to serve as tri-OCs and Reed will run the same offense as Zappe. Reed won the D2 national title in 2019.

Sophomore Malachi Corey should provide Reed with a reliable target. He caught 73 passes for 691 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago.

Junior Rusty Staats is considered one of the top offensive linemen in Conference USA.

The defense will be led by senior lineman Juwuan Jones and junior cornerback Kahlef Hailassie. Jones had 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last season while Hailassie picked off two passes following his transfer from Oregon.

Western Kentucky has a standout kicker in junior Brayden Narveson, who is the C-USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year. Last season, he connected on 23 of 29 field goal attempts for an accuracy rate of 79.3%.

Austin Peay vs Western Kentucky Prediction

Western Kentucky has a lopsided 35-6-1 lead in the series, including a 49-10 win in 2012 in the schools’ last meeting.

The Hilltoppers are the better team, but the offense may struggle a little while Reed gets acclimated to the offense. Thus, let’s look for Austin Peay to slip under the number.

Pick: Austin Peay +21.5 (-110)

 

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