Liberty Flames (5-0) vs. Kennesaw State Owls (0-6)
October 23, 2024 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Kennesaw State Owls +23.5 / Liberty Flames -23.5; Over/Under: +46.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Liberty Flames and the Kennesaw State Owls will meet Wednesday in college football action from Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Here’s a Kennesaw State vs Liberty prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Kennesaw State vs Liberty pick.
Liberty Flames Betting Preview
The Flames’ season has gone quite well so far with a string of wins—some closer than others. The opener was a 41-24 win over Campbell, then came a 30-24 escape versus New Mexico State and a 28-10 win over UTEP. Liberty would then beat East Carolina before a canceled game versus App State.
In their last outing versus FIU, the Flames were outscored 14-7 in the fourth quarter but survived in overtime for a 31-24 victory. QB Kaidon Salter finished with 125 yards and two rush scores. Quinton Cooley posted 29 carries for 174 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
Kennesaw State Owls Betting Preview
Over on the Kennesaw State side, they’ve been on the opposite trajectory this season. The Owls posted losses to UTSA 28-16, Louisiana 34-10 and San Jose State 31-10 in their first trio. The next pair were losses to TN-Martin 24-13 and Jacksonville State 63-24.
Back on October 15 against Middle Tennessee, Kennesaw State took another defeat. The Owls put up a 7-3 deficit in the second half on the way to a 14-5 result. QB Khalib Johnson finished with 52 yards and two interceptions. Qua Ashley rushed 11 times for 79 yards to lead the team on the ground.
Why the Kennesaw State Owls will win
- The home team has won each of Liberty’s last three games.
- Liberty has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six games.
- The underdog has covered the spread in four of Liberty’s last five games.
Why the Liberty Flames will win
- Liberty has won each of its last 18 games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Kennesaw State has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- The favorite has covered the spread in each of Kennesaw State’s last five games.
Total Points Facts
- Five of Kennesaw State’s last six games against non-AP-ranked teams have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Six of Liberty’s last eight October games as a road favorite against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Kennesaw State ranks 134th among FBS teams for points per game this season (13.0).
- Kennesaw State ranks 134th among FBS teams for Q3 opponent points per game this season (10.5).
- Liberty ranks 2nd among FBS teams for 1st downs against this season (88).
- Liberty ranks 4th among FBS teams for Q4 points per game this season (12.6).
Kennesaw State vs Liberty Prediction
I’ll probably still lean toward Liberty here. Also probably not touching it, though. Due to the canceled Appalachian State game, the Flames haven’t seen the field much lately. By the time they hit the grass here, they’ll have played just one game since September 21. Liberty still won that game, but they weren’t perfect. The Flames committed nine penalties and went just 4-of-11 on third-down tries.
As for Kennesaw State, they didn’t play too badly on defense versus Middle Tennessee, giving up 284 yards (199 passing) and 5-of-16 on third-down tries. The Owls could only muster 234 yards themselves, however. All things considered, Liberty should dominate here, but the Flames may be a little rusty due to all the inactivity.
