Auburn football has had a difficult season within the confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium, though even more so on the road, where they have gone 0-3 against Georgia, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State. With that said, the Tigers get a theoretical step down in competition in Week 12 ahead of the Iron Bowl regular-season finale when they take on Western Kentucky.
After barely beating San Jose State in Week 2 and Mizzou in Week 4, getting throttled by Penn State in between, blowing a 17-point lead to LSU in a Week 5 loss, and having the Hogs hang 41 in a loss to Arkansas during Week 9, all on Pat Dye field, Auburn football won its first game of the Cadillac era with a 13-10 defensive battle in under bettors’ heaven against Texas A&M on November 12 on the Plains.
Under Carnell Williams, AU is far more focused on the run — which makes quite a bit of sense considering Cadillac’s background as a Tigers running back great and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and the lack of an offensive line capable of avoiding a collapsing pocket for more than a few seconds — and called up 13 passing plays for quarterback Robby Ashford. Such a strategy could be a good way to deal with their pass-heavy Week 12 opponent.
Western Kentucky has taken transfer quarterback from Southern Illinois, Austin Reed, and has led the Hilltoppers to a 7-4 record through their first 11 games with over 3,500 passing yards, 31 touchdowns to seven interceptions, and the No. 7 passer rating in the country. WKU’s only losses are to the two teams ahead of them in the Conference USA standings (UTSA, North Texas), Troy, and Indiana.
Can WKU knock Auburn out of bowl eligibility or will the Tigers finish out the season with a winning record at home in 2022? Fly War Eagle has your odds and a prediction for the SEC Network-broadcast non-conference matchup at 3 pm central (All lines courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook):
Western Kentucky vs. Auburn football Odds, Spread and Total
Spread:
Auburn: -5.5 (-110)
Western Kentucky: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline:
Auburn: -220
Western Kentucky: +180
Total: 52 (Over -110/Under -110)
Western Kentucky vs. Auburn Prediction
This is a close line, with Western Kentucky representing a stronger opponent than most Group of Five teams in the country. What this game will come down to is Cadillac’s offense keeping the ball out of the hands of Austin Reed by establishing the rush on an average WKU defense.
This one could be lower scoring than expected, with AU eventually getting their way in what could be a nail-biter.
Prediction: 52u (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.