Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Charlotte 49ers Betting Picks

The 4-6 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will go on the road Tuesday night to face off with the Charlotte 49ers at 10:30 AM ET in Jerry Richardson Stadium. The Niners come in as 1.5-point favorites and we’re expecting a low-scoring affair with a 47.5 over/under. Let’s dive into how this one will go down and who will end up covering the spread. Make sure to check out my NCAAF Picks and Predictions for the upcoming week of games.

• Hilltoppers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
• 49ers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
• Under is 4-0 in Hilltoppers last 4 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
• Under is 14-5 in Hilltoppers last 19 road games.

The Hilltoppers have played as many football games as anyone in the country, and they’ve gone 4-6 through 10 contests. They’re led by QB Tyrell Pigrome, who’s completed 57% of his passes for 1,205 yards and eight touchdowns. He hasn’t thrown a single interception and has added 268 yards and three scores on the ground. This offense goes as he goes and when he drops backs, he’s looking for Xavier Lane (34 catches) and Mitchell Tinsley (37 catches). While they want to throw the ball a ton, Gaej Walker is still a solid running back and he averages close to five yards per carry.

As opposed to Western Kentucky, the 49ers haven’t played as many games as they were supposed to (6 games suspended). Their last game came over a month ago when they lost 53-19 over the Duke Blue Devils in a game that was never close. They’ve had three canceled games since and will be itching to get out on the field.

The Niners are a run-heavy offense and they’re led by Tre Harbison III, who’s rushed for 257 yards and four touchdowns while averaging four yards per carry. Backup Aaron McCallister averages seven yards per carry and has scored three times with 254 yards. QB Chris Reynolds isn’t phenomenal, but he’s put up 1,100 yards and six touchdowns with just two INTs. His job is to take care of the football.

The 49ers are the better overall team and they also get home-field advantage here. They have the better offensive and defensive line and will run the ball down the Hilltoppers throats. Tyrell Pigrome has been solid to this point, but he’s also been lucky. Three different balls have been dropped by defenders and things could look very different for his stat line. Give me the 49ers to win this game by a touchdown or so.

Both of these teams like to run the ball and lean on their defense. You wouldn’t know it after giving up 50+ to Duke, but this Charlotte defense is solid and they’ve been waiting to bounce back. They want to run the ball as much as possible and I’m a huge fan of the under here.