The Week 9 college football slate kicks off Tuesday night with a showdown between Conference USA contenders as the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-2) host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (5-2). Kickoff from Joe Aillet Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The Hilltoppers saw numerous breaks go their way during a three-game winning streak that was snapped last week in a 25-6 loss to Florida International. The Bulldogs are coming off a bye week but suffered a 35-7 loss to Kennesaw State heading into the off week. They similarly had a three-game winning streak snapped with the defeat.
Western Kentucky senior quarterback Maverick McIvor leads the conference in passing yards with 1,863 and passing touchdowns with 12. The Texas native has three games with 200-plus passing yards and two-plus passing touchdowns this season.
Senior receiver Matthew Henry leads the conference in receiving yards (435) with 23 grabs and three touchdowns. He has logged 50 or more receiving yards in three straight games.
On the other side, run-heavy Louisiana Tech ranks No. 4 in Conference USA in rushing yards per game (146.5) and has four players who have logged triple digits in rushing yards for the season. Sophomore running back Clay Thevenin has a team-high 261 rushing yards and three scores.
Running back Omiri Wiggins is another force in the backfield, as the junior has logged 225 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. In his last game, Wiggins had 67 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs are 3.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 49.5 in the latest sportsbook odds for Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech.
In addition to the CFB game, we’ll look at Warriors vs. Lakers on NBA Opening night and an NHL matchup. All times Eastern.
CFB best bets today, where to watch
Western Kentucky at Louisiana Tech
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Ruston, La.| TV: CBS Sports Network | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Western Kentucky +3.5
The model loves the Hilltoppers, who have a top 15-ranked passing attack (294.6 yards per game). To at least cover in this matchup. Its 10,000-game simulation sees Western Kentucky covering around 61% of the time, a stark contrast from the implied sportsbook odds of around 54%. Moreover, the model likes Western Kentucky to win outright with a projected final score of 27-25 in its favor. For those who are willing to sacrifice the points in exchange for a money-line payout of around +140, the model firmly believes your risk will be rewarded.
NBA best bets today, where to watch
Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers
Time: 10 p.m. Thursday | Location: Los Angeles | TV: NBC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Expert: Lakers +3 (Bruce Marshall) | Model: Lakers +2.5
The Warriors and Lakers match up in the second game of NBC’s doubleheader on Opening Night for the 2025-26 season, though LeBron James will not be suiting up for the Purple and Gold. James is dealing with sciatica and is expected to miss significant time to begin the season. There’s still going to be plenty of star power on the floor though, with Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all set to go. The Warriors believe they have a championship roster while the Lakers try to straddle two timelines with James in the last stage of his career while Doncic is the new face of the franchise.
The SportsLine Projection Model likes the Lakers at home in this game as 2.5-point underdogs. Los Angeles covers in 58% of simulations and wins in 54%. Marshall is also backing the Lakers, noting they outscored opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions when Doncic was on the floor last year minus James.
NHL: Ducks at Predators
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Nashville TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Predators -135 | Expert: Under 6.5 goals (Matt Severance)
The SportsLine Projection Model sees a decebnt value window on the favored Predators, with a projected win rate of about 62% in this matchup. This number exceeds the implied sportsbook odds of around 57%, suggesting a profitable position on the moderate favorite.
SportsLine NHL expert Matt Severance (+455 on NHL picks this season) is looking at the total and going with the Under. He notes that both teams are somewhat limited offensively and that the Predators will be operating without a couple of key offensive weapons.
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