The Jacksonville State Gamecocks will look to stay unbeaten in Conference USA play when they take on the Sam Houston Bearkats on Thursday night. Jacksonville State is coming off a 42-25 loss at Southern Mississippi on Sept. 27, while Sam Houston dropped a 37-10 decision at New Mexico State last Thursday. The Gamecocks (2-3, 1-0 C-USA), who are tied for third in the league, are 0-3 on the road this season. The Bearkats (0-5, 0-2 C-USA), who are 12th in the conference, are 0-1 on their home field in 2025.
Kickoff from Shell Energy Stadium in Houston is at 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Jacksonville State leads the all-time series 7-6, including two in a row. The Gamecocks are 7-point favorites in the latest Jacksonville State vs. Sam Houston odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 54.5 via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Sam Houston vs. Jacksonville State picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
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The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and is a profitable 38-25 combined on money-line and over/under college football picks since the beginning of 2024. Anybody following its college football betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Jacksonville State-Sam Houston. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for Sam Houston vs. Jacksonville State:
Why Jacksonville State can cover
Dual-threat quarterback Gavin Wimsatt helps power the Gamecocks’ offensive attack. The senior is in his first season at Jacksonville State after spending last year at Kentucky and the three previous seasons at Rutgers. In five games, Wimsatt has completed 58 of 104 passes (55.8%) for 576 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. He has also rushed 46 times for 238 yards (5.2 average) and four touchdowns.
Junior running back Cam Cook is Jacksonville State’s workhorse in the ground game. In five games, he has carried 111 times for 614 yards (5.5 average) and five touchdowns. He has also caught 11 passes for 125 yards. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in three games, including 195 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-24 win over Liberty on Sept. 6. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Sam Houston can cover
The Bearkats’ offense is led by senior quarterback Hunter Watson. In four games this season, Watson has completed 65 of 111 passes (58.6%) for 618 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions. He has also rushed 48 times for 156 yards and two scores. In the loss to New Mexico State, he completed 22 of 34 passes for 222 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
Senior defensive back C.J. Brown helps anchor the Sam Houston defense. In five games, he leads the Bearkats in tackles with 33, including 16 solo. He has three pass breakups and has forced three fumbles. In the loss to New Mexico State, he made six tackles, including four solo, with two forced fumbles. See which team to back at SportsLine.
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How to make Jacksonville State vs. Sam Houston picks
SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total, projecting 47 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations in an A-rated pick. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.