Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction - 11/15/2025
Updated July 9, 2026
As Conference USA play enters Week 12, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (7–2, 5–1 CUSA) host the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1–8, 0–5 CUSA) on Saturday. It’s a lopsided matchup on paper, as WKU has been firing on all cylinders and MTSU is desperately seeking a spark. But in a rivalry game known as the “100 Miles of Hate” game, emotion can swing momentum in any number of directions. Before kickoff from Kentucky, continue reading to get my Western Kentucky vs Middle Tennessee prediction.
Middle Tennessee’s signal-caller is Nicholas Vattiato, who has thrown for 2,150 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He also has 7 interceptions. MTSU’s rushing attack has been a major weakness, averaging under 80 yards per game on the ground. That has put considerable pressure on Vattiato to move the ball effectively through the air.
Western Kentucky’s Maverick McIvor has been efficient and productive at quarterback. He has thrown for 1,863 yards, with 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. But McIvor has missed time due to injury recently and Rodney Tisdale Jr. threw four touchdown passes in his place in Western Kentucky's last game against Louisiana Tech.
Western Kentucky is going through a quarterback injury situation. But they seem to be in good hands at quarterback even without Maverick McIvor on the field. No matter who is available at quarterback in this game, I'm going to lay the points with Western Kentucky against a Middle Tennessee team that has struggled to keep up with their opponents on offense throughout the season.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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