WKU Football: Best Bets for The Hilltoppers vs. FIU
Examining the betting lines for FIU at Western Kentucky
The Rundown
Western Kentucky comes into this game as heavy favorites over FIU. Which is really no surprise considering FIU was blown out last week by Texas State and their only win is against Bryant (a FCS team that is now 0-3) in Week 1 by one point in overtime. It began at -26.5 but has now snowballed into -31. That is an insane line and it still has time to grow before noon eastern on Saturday. The over/under is at 65.5, which is respectable. The odds makers expect a lot of points to be scored, primarily by Western Kentucky. The moneyline for WKU is -15000 (which is insane), and FIU is at +3000, meaning they are definitely big underdogs.
These games are always tough to bet due to the extreme nature of the spreads and moneylines, but lets talk about what you can possibly do with each.
The Spread (WKU -31)
Taking a -31 point spread anywhere betting wise is against my personal policies. I have trouble taking anything above -21, let alone -31. But then again, FIU has looked pretty bad this year, so maybe WKU can do it. I predicted a 52-21 final score, but the more I look at FIU’s games thus far this year, the more I believe they won’t score more than 14 on WKU. Even though it looks like WKU should blow out FIU by all means, I just can’t advise taking a spread this large unless you feel like getting really into the game during the 4th quarter while it is a blow out and the backups are in. My verdict? Just avoid betting on the spread this game.
Over/Under (65.5)
The correct bet for the over/under is found within a simple question. How hard can WKU dominate FIU? I believe it is entirely possible that the Hilltopper offense can hang a 50 burger on this FIU defense. The Panthers lost to Texas State 41-12, and Texas State scored 14 and 7 in their other two games. WKU is much better than Texas State. So do you believe that WKU will also dominate defensively? If you think WKU pitches a shut out, or maybe even just one score on the day, then go for the under. But if you want my opinion, I think that if FIU can get 12-14 points on the board, then the over will hit simply because the Hilltoppers will probably score 55+ on the Panthers.
Moneyline (WKU -15000, FIU +3000)
There is nothing here. Please do not put money down on a -15000 bet. To put it into perspective, if you put $5 on WKU to win, you will get $5.03 back. It is a net gain of 3 cents. No point in really touching that moneyline. I guess you could add it into a parlay to very slightly boost your payout there, but even that probably won’t work on most parlays. If you see something in FIU that I don’t, you should put money on them. If you believe in the Panthers, now is the time. A bet on them this weekend for $5 will pay you $155 dollars. So if you believe in them, put a blue benjamin down on it and turn it into a car payment. Otherwise there is no reason to touch the moneyline this weekend.
Cheeky Bets
A cheeky bet that I like a lot for this game is a first quarter only bet. WKU has a -7.5 spread for the first quarter, meaning if you take that bet they must be winning by 8 or more at the end of the first quarter. I know I called this the cheeky bet section, but I really love this bet, it is probably my favorite on the game and also the only one I will be personally putting money on. I expect the Hilltoppers to come out fast and try to get business taken care of early, especially after a heartbreaking loss last week.
Good luck this weekend everyone!