A battle of two Conference USA opponents will take place on ESPN on Tuesday night at 7:30 PM ET when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers travel to Jacksonville, Alabama to face the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at JSU Stadium in week 8 of the college football season.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers enter this game with a record of 4-2 following a 35-28 win on the road against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs while covering the 6-point spread as a road favorite in week 6 of the college football season. Western Kentucky scored 35 points while compiling a total of 426 yards offensively which included 297 passing yards and 129 rushing yards while allowing 28 points and 397 total yards defensively which included 259 passing yards and 138 rushing yards. Austin Reed led the team in passing, completing 20 of 35 attempts for 297 yards with three touchdowns and an interception while rushing for four yards. Markese Stepp led the team in rushing with nine carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. Malachi Croley led the team in receiving, catching eight of 12 targets for 207 yards and three touchdowns.

Jacksonville State enters this game with a record of 5-2 following a 13-31 loss on the road against the Liberty Flames while failing to cover the 7-point spread as a home underdog in week 7 of the college football season. The Gamecocks scored 13 points while compiling a total of 324 yards offensively which included 184 passing yards and 140 rushing yards while allowing 31 points and 422 total yards defensively which included 177 passing yards and 245 rushing yards. Logan Smothers led the team in passing, completing 8 of 18 attempts for 115 yards and an interception while rushing for 13 yards and a touchdown. Anwar Lewis led the team in rushing with 15 carries for 81 yards while adding a reception for 19 yards. Perry Carter led the team in receiving, catching five of six targets for 83 yards.

BookMaker has the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers listed as 7-point favorites on the road against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Tuesday night in week 8 of the college football season. This will be the first time in the history of these two programs that they will face each other in college football. Western Kentucky is 4-2 ATS overall, 2-1 ATS on the road, 3-1 ATS as a favorite, and 2-0 ATS in conference games this season while the Jacksonville State Gamecocks are 4-2-1 ATS overall, 3-1 ATS at home, 2-2 ATS as an underdog, and 2-1-1 ATS in conference games on the year.

Both teams are two of the best in Conference USA this season and both have been two of the best at covering the spread this season with Western Kentucky going 4-2 ATS overall while Jacksonville State is 4-2-1 ATS overall. This should be a tightly contested matchup which is why I am taking the points with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks when they host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in week 8 of the college football season on Tuesday night.