Two teams scraping for momentum bring opposite kinds of streaks into a Tuesday night game that neither side can afford to treat as a formality.
Delaware Blue Hens enter at 3-4 on a one-game winning streak, while the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are also 3-4 but have won two straight.
The Blue Hens have been outscored 199-198 on the season, and the Hilltoppers have been outscored 214-149, numbers that suggest this one could go either way.
Game details
| When | Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET |
| Where | Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium |
| TV | CBSSN |
| Line | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers -1 | O/U 56.5 (market view) |
| Delaware Blue Hens record | 3-4 |
| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers record | 3-4 |
The matchup
Delaware's offense has been feast or famine. The Blue Hens dropped three of four games before putting up 61 points in a 61-38 win over the Missouri State Bears last week, a bounce-back from a 30-33 loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, a 14-30 loss to the Liberty Flames, and a 3-42 loss to the Virginia Cavaliers. Their only other win in that stretch was a 22-14 decision over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.
Western Kentucky has gone the other direction, riding its two-game streak on the back of a 16-3 win over the Sam Houston Bearkats and a 34-13 win over the Missouri State Bears. Before that stretch, the Hilltoppers had been shut out 0-38 by the Indiana Hoosiers and lost 13-34 to the New Mexico State Aggies, though they also put up 52 points in a win over the Mercyhurst Lakers.
Key matchups
The number to watch is Delaware's scoring split. A team that put up 61 points one week and 3 the next is capable of either extreme, and that kind of swing puts pressure on whichever defense shows up for Western Kentucky.
On the other side, the Hilltoppers defense has quietly tightened up, holding its last two opponents to a combined sixteen points after being torched for 38 by Indiana earlier this season. If that trend holds against a Delaware offense that just dropped 61, it will be the matchup that decides this game.
The pick
The betting market has Western Kentucky as a one-point favorite with a market score of 29-28 and a total of 56.5, suggesting oddsmakers expect a close, high-scoring finish.
Given Western Kentucky's defensive improvement over its last two games against Delaware's inconsistent scoring output, the Hilltoppers look like the safer side to trust at home, though Delaware's 61-point showing last week means this one could easily go over that total.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Delaware Blue Hens | Wk8 W 61-38 vs Missouri State Bears, Wk7 L 30-33 vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, Wk5 L 14-30 vs Liberty Flames |
| Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | Wk7 W 16-3 vs Sam Houston Bearkats, Wk6 W 34-13 vs Missouri State Bears, Wk5 L 13-34 vs New Mexico State Aggies |
Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.