Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders Free Pick – ATS Predictions

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-7) will travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to square off with an old nemesis the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (5-3) in a rivalry game none other than as “100 Miles of Hate”. This year’s edition is set to take place at Floyd Stadium on Friday, November 2nd at 8:00 PM ET. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+. Western Kentucky has won the last three meetings between both parties. Last year in Bowling Green, the Hilltoppers defeated the Blue Raiders in overtime by a score of 41-38 with the market closing as a pick-em.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Overview

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

The Hilltoppers were once a football team that was once known as the club to beat in the Conference USA. In not too recent history, this was a team that won ten games on a regular basis and earned several conference championships under current Purdue Head Coach Jeff Brohm. Needless to say, the apple has fallen far from the tree as Western Kentucky owns just one win this year when they won at Ball State in September as a three-point dog. The Hilltoppers enter on a four-game losing streak.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders

The Blue Raiders come into this game on the heels of a two-game winning streak capped off by a most recent 51-17 beating of Old Dominion on the road last Saturday. Two of Middle Tennessee State’s losses came on the road at SEC constituents Vanderbilt and Georgia. This team is very much in the discussion as a potential Conference USA champion contender with Florida Atlantic looking like a shadow of itself in 2018.

Reasons To Back Western Kentucky

Despite riding a nasty skid coming into this rivalry clash, Western Kentucky has the emotional edge in this contest by virtue of their present winning streak against Middle Tennessee State. Last year, 100 Miles of Hate saved Western Kentucky’s season and afforded them the opportunity to vie for a post-season game. While a bowl game is out of the question now for the Toppers, WKU can nonetheless salvage their season here potentially with a campaign-defining win that can set the tone for 2019. Expect Western Kentucky to treat this affair as their bowl game, and we have to like that position with nearly two touchdowns to take back.

Reasons To Avoid Middle Tennessee

Given Middle Tennessee State’s reputation for a renowned home field advantage, takers can expect to pay a premium to back the Blue Raiders here, regardless of the venom that flows in this rivalry. This propensity is heightened by the fact that MTSU is undefeated in Murfreesboro this season.