Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 11/29/25

A massive Conference USA showdown will take place between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday night, as both teams are tied atop the conference standings at 6-1 heading into the final week of the regular season. The winner of this game is guaranteed a spot in the CUSA title game, but the situation varies depending on who loses because Kennesaw State is also 6-1 in conference play. 

The Owls are in if they win, but if Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State both lose and end up tied at 6-2 in conference play, the Gamecocks own the tiebreaker and would see WKU in an immediate rematch against the Hilltoppers. If Western Kentucky loses, the Hilltoppers are out no matter what. In short, this is a must win for the ‘Toppers if they want any shot of playing for the CUSA title. 

Jacksonville State has been perfect at home against FBS competition, winning and covering every game as an underdog. Yet, oddsmakers list them as underdog again this week – though I guess I understand why. Western Kentucky has been an ATS ATM this year, covering 9 of 11 spreads – including last week’s no-doubt cover as a 24.5-point underdog at LSU. However, I feel they are being awarded just a little too much for what they did against an uninterested team while Jacksonville State was battling with a conference contender in Florida International. I also believe the Gamecocks’ home win over Kennesaw State is being slightly undervalued, as Jacksonville State forced the then-undefeated (in conference play) Owls into 4 turnovers. 

This matchup is about as even as it gets, but I’m not convinced WKU should be laying a field goal in this spot. As such, I’ll lean to taking the points with Jacksonville State.

Western Kentucky vs Jacksonville State prediction: Jacksonville State Gamecocks +3 (-115) at the time of publishing. Playable to +2. 

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