Western Kentucky vs Charlotte Picks and Odds

• The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers square off with the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina at 10:30 am EST on Tuesday
• This game was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed three days due to COVID-19 concerns
• See the odds, spread, analysis and best bet below

It’s not often you get Tuesday morning college football action, but Conference USA gives us a gift to start December.

Western Kentucky comes into this one winners of their last two games on the backs of their defense. At 4-6, they may not have much to play for at this point in the season.

Charlotte practiced for the first time in two weeks on Saturday. They played their last game on Halloween when they endured a 53-19 beating at the hands of the Duke Blue Devils.

Western Kentucky leads the all-time series 2-1, but the Charlotte 49ers are favored by 1.5 points in this matchup.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Charlotte 49ers Odds

Odds as of November 30th at Draftkings

Hilltoppers Still Playing Hard

Western Kentucky may not have a lot to play for, but that sure hasn’t shown up on the game film from their last two games. Their motto on defense is “put the ball down” and they have done just that in only allowing 38 points in their last three games.

DeAngelo Malone has led the way all season long for this defense. He currently leads the conference with 11 tackles for loss including six sacks. Against FIU, Malone forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

He is truly a game wrecker.

Yes, I could show WKU EDGE DeAngelo Malone beating a OT outside…but he does more. He chased down multiple run plays away from his side during this game, but his eyes and athleticism allowed him to drop into coverage here and make a play on the ball. #SnapScout21 pic.twitter.com/Wz0NJ3Ampc

— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) November 20, 2020

The Hilltoppers’ offense has not been good all season, but they did show some sign of life in their 38-21 victory over FIU last time out. Gaej Walker lead the way on the ground with a season high 127 yards and a touchdown. If they can get the run going against Charlotte’s 123rd out of 130 rush defense in terms of yards per carry, they have a shot at winning this game.

Charlotte is Finally Healthy

Charlotte Head Coach Will Healy said Friday that “this is the healthiest we’ve been since fall camp.” The 49ers have only played five games all season due to COVID-19 complications, but should have everyone available for this one.

QB Chris Reynolds has not been healthy all season, which has shown in his rushing numbers. Last season, Reynolds posted Lamar Jackson-esque rushing stats, going for 757 yards and six scores.

This season, he has only run for 35 yards with 34 of them coming in the first game. He was hurt on the first play of that game and hasn’t looked the same since. He has had a month to heal so it will be interesting to see if he gets back to tucking the ball and running.

Chris Reynolds didn’t start but has now led two Charlotte scoring drives, including this scramble for a TD. 14-0 49ers in 2q pic.twitter.com/GdJ1OvXkLx

— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) August 30, 2019

When Reynolds isn’t running, he does have a legit game breaker to target in Victor Tucker. He is the Charlotte’s leading receiver on the season and can score from anywhere on the field. Furthermore, the 49ers utilize his versatility as he has also run for 81 yards on seven carries this season.

Best Bet for Tuesday Morning

As good as the Hilltoppers’ defense has looked in the last few weeks, it’s important to remember that they haven’t seen anything that resembles a quarterback in a month. The gave up 41 points to BYU, 37 to UAB and 38 to Marshall in their last three outings versus capable signal callers. While Chris Reynolds is not quite Zach Wilson, he is certainly capable of moving the ball through the air.

I would expect a slow start from the 49ers given their limited action on the season but it likely won’t last long. Actually, it would be a good thing if they got down a score and were forced to lean on the passing attack. I don’t think Western Kentucky will be able to match scores with the Reynolds/Tucker connection. At the end of the day, I think the 49ers will win and cover this small number.

Pick: Charlotte -1.5 (-110)