Two high-powered offenses will dictate this Miami Beach Bowl as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers square off with the South Florida Bulls. South Florida (8-4) comes into this game having gotten the win in four in a row, while Western Kentucky (11-2) has been victorious in five straight. The game will air Monday, Dec 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
South Florida won easily over UCF 44-3 in its last game. Sean Price had a solid performance in the victory, recording two catches for 27 yards and two TDs. Quinton Flowers put up 176 yards and three TDs through the air. In its last game, Western Kentucky beat Southern Miss 45-28. Taywan Taylor had an outstanding performance for the Hilltoppers, hauling in eight receptions for 165 yards and two TDs. Brandon Doughty also had a big day, contributing 410 yards and three TDs through the air.
Western Kentucky is a slim three-point favorite as they take on the Bulls. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 64 points.
The Bulls enter the game with records of 8-4 Straight Up (SU) and 9-2-1 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Bulls have records of 4-1 for both SU and ATS. The South Florida rushing attack has averaged 254.4 rushing yards in the last five games. During their last five games, the Bulls have also improved their pass coverage, giving up an average of 176.4 passing yards. South Florida’s special teams squad is a force to be reckoned with. They average 117.1 return yards per game, 11th in Division I.
On the other side, the Hilltoppers head into this bowl game with records of 8-4-1 ATS and 11-2 SU. In the previous five games, Western Kentucky has a record of 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS. Western Kentucky has found a lot of success through the air. Its 364.9 passing yards per game ranks sixth in Division I. The Western Kentucky defense has given teams trouble during the past five games. During that time, opponents have gained an average of only 294 total yards against this intimidating bunch. The Bulls defense usually doesn’t head in the right direction in the third quarter. They allow 8.2 points heading out of the break this year, one of the worst in the nation.
Predictions: SU Winner – South Florida, ATS Winner – South Florida, O/U – Under
Notes
South Florida is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of South Florida’s last 6 games.
Western Kentucky is 11-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. South Florida is 7-1 SU when leading after three quarters.
South Florida is an even 2-2 SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet 5-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
According to overall FBS team rankings, South Florida is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 11th-ranked rushing attack will face the 50th-ranked run defense of Western Kentucky, while its 33rd-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 87th-ranked running game of the Hilltoppers.
