Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech Pick & Prediction - 10/21/2025
Updated July 9, 2026
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in Conference USA action on Tuesday night. The Hilltoppers are coming off their first loss of the season in conference play. They will try to get back on track against a Louisiana Tech that is also trying to avoid a second consecutive loss in CUSA play. Before kickoff from Rouston, continue reading to get my Western Kentucky vs Louisiana Tech prediction.
Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
Louisiana Tech −3.5 | Louisiana Tech -185, Western Kentucky +155 | 50.5 |
Louisiana Tech hangs its hat on the defensive side of the ball. The Bulldogs rank among the top teams nationally in points allowed per game at 17.2 ppg. That places them inside the top 15 overall. They also force turnovers at a strong clip, with 13 takeaways this season. The Bulldogs are elite on fourth-down conversion defense, giving up just a 14.3% success on fourth-down conversions. They will make Western Kentucky earn everything that they get in this game.
Western Kentucky has a potent offense driven by quarterback Maverick McIvor. McIvor has passed for 1,863 yards and 12 touchdowns this season while completing 67.3% of attempts. His top targets include wideouts Matthew Henry (435 yards) and K.D. Hutchinson (330 yards). The Hilltoppers’ passing game is among the more prolific in the Group of 5 and their fourth-quarter point differential is very strong (+5.6 ppg). However,WKU was stunned at home last week. They lost 25-6 to the FIU Panthers and will try to bounce back in this game.
McIvor remains the engine of the Hilltoppers’ offense. He threw three interceptions last week in a game where the Hilltoppers failed to score a single touchdown against FIU. Taking care of the football will be a priority for McIvor and the Hilltoppers as they look to avoid a second straight loss.
Louisiana Tech’s signal-caller was Evan Bullock last week. He did not perform well, throwing for 112 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception in the loss to Kennesaw State. The quarterback situation for the Bulldogs is up in the air going into this game and that could negatively impact them again here.
My best bet for this Conference USA matchup is for the game to stay under the total of 50.5 points. Both of these teams struggled offensively in their last game. Louisiana Tech's injury situation at quarterback isn't likely to help them in that department this week, while McIvor's struggles through the air last week are cause for concern for the Hilltoppers. I'll take the under in what should be a close contest in CUSA.
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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