The Jacksonville State Gamecocks (3-2, 1-0 CUSA) renew their “Uncompromised Hate” rivalry against the Kennesaw State Owls (1-3, 0-0 CUSA) at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium in a Wednesday night Week 6 college football matchup. These two teams met twice last season, first on Nov. 15, when Jacksonville State won 35-26, and then again on Dec. 5 in the Conference USA Championship Game, with both teams entering at 7-1 in conference play.
Kennesaw State got its revenge in the championship game, winning a tight, low-scoring 19-15 contest despite the Gamecocks making a late comeback attempt. Jacksonville State scored all 15 of its points in the fourth quarter and actually took a 13-12 lead before former Owls quarterback Amari Odom found wide receiver Navelle Dean for the eventual game-winning 11-yard touchdown with only 51 seconds remaining.
Kennesaw State hasn’t had the start to the 2026 season it hoped for after going 10-4 in 2025 in Jerry Mack’s first year as head coach. Now in Year 2 under Mack and sitting at 1-3, the Owls will look to get back on track and snap their three-game losing streak Wednesday night.
Jacksonville State is also in Year 2 under head coach Charles Kelly, who helped lead the Gamecocks to a 9-5 record last year that ended with a Salute to Veterans Bowl victory over Troy. The Gamecocks were on the wrong end of a 33-7 blowout against North Dakota State to open the 2026 season but responded with a 49-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky before suffering a tough 29-27 quadruple-overtime loss to Ohio. Jacksonville State has since won back-to-back games, first with a 31-27 win against Georgia Southern and then a 23-13 victory in its CUSA opener against Middle Tennessee in its most recent game on Sept. 26.
After a rough performance in the opener against North Dakota State, Jacksonville State quarterback Caden Creel has been a big reason for the team’s success since then as both a passer and a runner, showing true dual-threat ability as he looks to continue that level of play and extend the Gamecocks’ winning streak to three games Wednesday night.
See below for Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State predictions, picks, and odds for Wednesday night’s CUSA rivalry matchup.
Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State Odds
Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook lists Jacksonville State as a road favorite Wednesday night as the Gamecocks look to stay in the win column:
Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State Predictions
Wednesday night college football action, anyone? Head over to Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook to check out the available football betting markets for this CUSA rivalry game, including our Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State prediction below:
Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State Best Bet: Jacksonville State Moneyline (-145)
There isn’t a whole lot that went into this pick other than the fact that Jacksonville State enters with momentum, having won three of its last four games and just barely missing out on riding a four-game winning streak after losing in quadruple overtime against Ohio a few weeks ago. Kennesaw State has home-field advantage Wednesday night, but the Owls don’t have that same momentum, having lost each of their last three games while being outscored 90-40 during that span.
There’s also the fact that Jacksonville State’s offense feels more explosive and trustworthy with the way quarterback Caden Creel has been playing both as a passer and as a runner. As long as he can protect the football, which he didn’t do a great job of with his two interceptions in the win over Middle Tennessee last time out, the Gamecocks should be in position to pull off a road win against their rivals Wednesday night.
- Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State Moneyline Pick for Oct. 7: Jacksonville State (-145)
Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State Betting Splits
Here’s how the action is trending at Hard Rock Bet for Wednesday night’s CUSA showdown:
- Jacksonville State is attracting the majority of moneyline support, with 82% of wagers and 87.4% of the money.
- The Gamecocks are also seeing more support on the spread, with 71.6% of wagers and 59.9% of the money.
- The Over is generating 66.4% of wagers on the total and 69.3% of the money.
Jacksonville State vs. Kennesaw State Game Info
- š Where: Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium, Kennesaw, GA
- š Date: Wednesday, Oct. 7
- ā° Kickoff: 7:00 PM ET
- šŗš» TV/Streaming: CBSSN
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Referenced odds are subject to change.
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