Delaware vs. Western Kentucky Prediction, CFB Week 9 Odds & Best Bets (10/27)

Fact checked at 7:20 AM ET, Oct 27, 2026

Odds as of 7:15 AM ET, Oct 27, 2026

Delaware visits Western Kentucky at 7:00 PM ET on CBS Sports Network, with both Conference USA teams sitting at 3-4. The Blue Hens have their quarterback back. Nick Minicucci threw five touchdown passes in a 61-38 win over Missouri State, his first game back after missing two with a leg injury. WKU comes off a bye having won two straight on defense, 34-13 over Missouri State and 16-3 at Sam Houston.

We think WKU gets to play this game its own way. Brock Glenn and the run game shorten it, and WKU leans on a defense that has given up 16 points in two games. That's a close game in the 40s or low 50s, so we're taking the Hilltoppers with the points and the Under.

Delaware vs. Western Kentucky Predictions

• Pick #1: WKU +1.5 (-112)
• Pick #2: Under 57.5 (-108)

PICK #1: WKU +1.5 (-112)

Sam Houston managed 177 yards and no touchdowns against WKU, the first time the Hilltoppers kept a conference opponent out of the end zone in almost two seasons. It held Missouri State to 13 the game before that. It did both without linebacker Jaylen Wester and two starting defensive linemen, and all three are eligible for this game after another court ruling.

Glenn has started both wins. He ran 22 times for 54 yards at Sam Houston and threw for 127, and WKU out-rushed its passing total for the second game in a row. Rodney Tisdale Jr., who still leads the team in passing yards, is healthier after an ankle injury and available if the offense needs him. WKU is 2-0 at home and has won 13 of its last 15 at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Delaware is 0-3 on the road, though Minicucci left early at Virginia and missed the 33-30 loss at Middle Tennessee.

The market has drifted the same way. Delaware opened as a 2.5-point favorite, most books now have it at 1.5, and at least one major book has already flipped WKU to the favorite. Spread bettors are with the home team too, 60% of the bets and 65% of the money. ESPN's matchup predictor gives WKU a 56.1% chance to win outright, and the average of the computer ratings has it by about 2.7 points. The -112 price implies 52.8%.

Minicucci is what can beat this. He went 20-for-29 for 225 yards against Missouri State, Delaware leads CUSA in passing at 268.0 yards per game, and the bigger moneyline tickets have gone to the Blue Hens, 67% of the money on 49% of the bets.

PICK #2: Under 57.5 (-108)

WKU's last two games totaled 47 and 19 points. The Hilltoppers had more rushing yards than passing yards in both, they score 21.3 points per game (seventh in CUSA), and a rested home team that wants to run the clock tends to keep the scoreboard quiet. The total has already come down from its opener to 57.5.

Seven of the two teams' 12 games against FBS opponents finished under this number, four of WKU's six and three of Delaware's six. Delaware's unders came against Coastal Carolina (22-14), Virginia (42-3) and Liberty (30-14). Bowling Green's forecast is dry with calm wind, so the weather shouldn't tilt anything.

At -108, the implied probability is 51.9%, and this is the crowded side: 74% of the bets and 71% of the money are on the Under. The worry is Delaware with Minicucci. Its last two games went over at 63 and 99 points, and it scored on 10 of 11 drives against Missouri State, not counting two kneel-downs. Delaware also has the worst pass defense in CUSA at 270.3 yards allowed per game, so WKU could find some easy throws too. WKU gave up 49 at Nevada and 70 at Georgia early in the season, but it has allowed 13 or fewer in each of its last two games.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.