First Responder Bowl Odds: Western Kentucky vs. Western Michigan
- Odds: WKU -2
- Over/Under: 53.5
- Date: Monday, Dec. 30, 2019
- Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPN
- Location: Dallas, Tx.
Odds as of Sunday afternoon. Get live college football odds here.
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Western Kentucky Betting Stats & 2019 Season Profile
- Season Record: 8-4
- Against-the-Spread Record: 8-4
- Conference: Conference USA
- Offense Yards Per Play Rank: 84
- Defense Yards Per Play Rank: 41
- S&P+ Special Teams Rank: 83
Analysis: Has any Group of Five program hit more highs and lows in the last five years than Western Kentucky? The Toppers won at least 11 games in consecutive years under Jeff Brohm, then fell to 3-9 last year in Mike Sanford’s second season. But WKU had a resurgence in Tyson Helton’s first year, going 8-4 in a different way than Brohm did — with defense. It ranked No. 16 in defensive success rate, and while it did give up big plays at times, the Hilltoppers developed into one of the best defenses in the Group of Five. The offense still throws the ball more effectively than it runs, but was about FBS average in the passing department. — Steve Petrella
All stats are regular season only
Western Michigan Betting Stats & 2019 Season Profile
- Season Record: 7-5
- Against-the-Spread Record: 5-6-1
- Conference: MAC
- Offense Yards Per Play Rank: 21
- Defense Yards Per Play Rank: 85
- S&P+ Special Teams Rank: 122
Analysis: I’m not sure that Western Michigan saw itself as much better than a 7-win team, but it still seems like they were a little disappointing in 2019. They’ll be kicking themselves for losing to Toledo and Northern Illinois, two horrid football teams. Like many teams in the MAC this year, the Broncos have a strong offense and a really bad defense. They’re both efficient and explosive on offense with a great offensive line, so they should matchup up well against any defense they see in a bowl. On the other hand, the defense is a complete sieve so whatever team they face should be able to run all over them. I’ll be looking to play the over in Western Michigan’s bowl game. –Kyle Miller
All stats are regular season only
First Responder Bowl Projections & Picks
- Our projected spread: Western Michigan -2.5
- Our projected over/under: 54.97
