Liberty vs Kennesaw State Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 8
Liberty runs for 223.0 yards per game and has not thrown an interception all season, while 1-5 Kennesaw State leans on Rickie Collins for both its passing and rushing leads.
The Matchup
Liberty brings a 5-1 record and a run-first identity into Kennesaw, averaging 223.0 rushing yards per game at 5.3 yards per carry against 192.8 passing yards. Kam Davis drives that ground game with 524 yards and 4 touchdowns on 74 carries, while Deshawn Purdie has been careful and efficient at quarterback, throwing for 1,050 yards and 8 touchdowns without an interception; in fact, Liberty has not thrown an interception as a team all season.
Kennesaw State is 1-5 and leans on Rickie Collins for almost everything: he has passed for 1,302 yards and also leads the Owls in rushing with 271 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Owls average 369.8 yards and 22.3 points per game, against 415.8 yards and 31.2 points for Liberty.
Key Factors
Kennesaw State struggles to finish drives through the air, with only 4 passing touchdowns as a team in 6 games despite Collins completing 69.2% of his passes. His top target, Javon Rogers, has 308 yards but just 1 touchdown. Liberty has the explosive edge on the outside: Makai Jackson has turned 22 catches into 515 yards and 5 touchdowns, and the Flames average 15.2 yards per reception as a team.
Defensively, Liberty has 12 sacks and 5 interceptions, while Kennesaw State has 7 sacks and 3 interceptions. Liberty also sustains drives better, converting 45.2% on third down to 40.3% for the Owls, which matters when one offense wants to control the clock on the ground.
This line asks Liberty to win by double digits on the road, and the profile supports it. The Flames run the ball for 79.3 more yards per game than Kennesaw State, have the cleaner quarterback play with zero interceptions thrown, and own the best individual playmaker in the game in Jackson. Kennesaw State is heavily dependent on Collins creating both phases himself, and that is a hard way to keep pace for four quarters against a defense allowing its offense long, clock-draining drives. Editorial pick: Liberty -9.5.
Game information
| DATE | Thursday (10/22) |
|---|---|
| START TIME | 7:00 PM ET |
| HOW TO WATCH | CBSSN |
| VENUE | Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium, Kennesaw |
| SPREAD | Liberty -9.5 |
| TOTAL | 50.5 |
| MONEYLINE | Liberty -395 |
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Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.