Who's Playing

Western Kentucky @ Charlotte

Current Records: Western Kentucky 5-4; Charlotte 2-7

What to Know

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are 4-1 against the Charlotte 49ers since October of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success Saturday. The Hilltoppers and Charlotte will face off in a Conference USA battle at noon ET at Jerry Richardson Stadium. The defensive coordinators will surely put in extra hours ahead of this matchup since these teams' offenses combined for 965 yards last week.

Pride goes before the fall, and it seems WKU saw their 10-point advantage in the point spread and came into their game against the North Texas Mean Green with a big head. WKU has to be aching after a bruising 40-13 defeat to North Texas last week. No one had a standout game offensively for WKU, but they got one touchdown from QB Austin Reed.

Meanwhile, everything went the 49ers' way against the Rice Owls last week as they made off with a 56-23 victory. The contest was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Charlotte had established a 49-17 advantage. Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds was slinging it as he passed for five TDs and 254 yards on 19 attempts. Reynolds hadn't helped his team much against the FIU Panthers two weeks ago, so this was a nice turnaround for him.

This next game looks promising for the Hilltoppers, who are favored by a full 15.5 points. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the team has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.

WKU is now 5-4 while Charlotte sits at 2-7. A couple offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: WKU comes into the game boasting the eighth most passing touchdowns in the nation at 23. But Charlotte is even better: they enter the game with 24 passing touchdowns, good for sixth best in the nation. We'll see if that edge gives the 49ers a route to victory.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 12 p.m. ET
  • Where: Jerry Richardson Stadium -- Charlotte, North Carolina
  • TV: CBS Sports Network
  • Live Stream: CBSSports.com or fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Watch on your Phone: CBS Sports App
  • Watch on Connected TV: CBS Sports App on Roku and Fire TV
  • Ticket Cost: $69.00

Odds

The Hilltoppers are a big 15.5-point favorite against the 49ers, according to the latest college football odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Hilltoppers as a 16.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

See college football picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Western Kentucky have won four out of their last five games against Charlotte.

  • Oct 30, 2021 - Western Kentucky 45 vs. Charlotte 13
  • Dec 06, 2020 - Western Kentucky 37 vs. Charlotte 19
  • Oct 19, 2019 - Western Kentucky 30 vs. Charlotte 14
  • Oct 13, 2018 - Charlotte 40 vs. Western Kentucky 14
  • Oct 14, 2017 - Western Kentucky 45 vs. Charlotte 14