Thursday night’s college football slate features a Week 6 showdown in Lynchburg, Virginia, as the Liberty Flames (4-1, 1-0 CUSA) host the Sam Houston Bearkats (1-3, 0-0 CUSA) for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff at Williams Stadium.
Sam Houston had a tremendous 10-3 season in 2024 that ended with a New Orleans Bowl victory against Georgia Southern, and the Bearkats are trying to get back to that level of success. However, things haven’t gone according to plan over the last two seasons under head coach Phil Longo. In his first year in 2025, Sam Houston went 2-10 and is now 1-3 to start the 2026 season, with its lone win coming in a 59-0 shutout against Nicholls on Sept. 19.
Things could be much different for Sam Houston right now, with its first two losses of the season being one-score games before picking up the win over Nicholls. However, it will be important to see how the Bearkats bounce back following their 49-14 loss in their previous game against No. 11 Texas Tech. Quarterbacks Landyn Locke and Brett Holloway combined to throw three interceptions, two of which resulted in back-to-back pick-sixes, while the offense also couldn’t capitalize on four Texas Tech turnovers.
Sam Houston does, however, enter Thursday with more rest, as its game against Texas Tech took place on Sept. 26, while Liberty most recently played on Oct. 2 in a 30-14 win against Delaware. That win was Liberty’s fourth in a row after beginning the season with a 20-13 road loss against James Madison. The Flames will look to carry that momentum into tonight’s Conference USA showdown and extend their winning streak to five games.
Liberty’s offense is worth keeping an eye on in this matchup, entering Week 6 averaging 30.4 points and 208.2 rushing yards per game. Running back Kam Davis leads CUSA with 7.1 yards per carry, while wide receiver Makai Jackson leads the conference with 469 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. Quarterback Deshawn Purdie has also yet to throw an interception this season.
Find more on tonight’s game below, including our Sam Houston vs. Liberty predictions, picks, and odds.
Sam Houston vs. Liberty Odds Tonight
Liberty sits near the top of the CUSA standings and features what has proven to be a dangerous offense, making the Flames sizable home favorites at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook against Sam Houston:
Sam Houston vs. Liberty Predictions
The full Saturday slate of college football action is almost here, but first, there are Thursday night games to get involved in at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. Check out the full menu of football betting markets available, as well as our Sam Houston vs. Liberty prediction below:
Liberty vs. Sam Houston Best Bet: Liberty -13.5 (-115)
Liberty has won each of its last three games by 16 or more points, including a 36-point victory over Ball State on Sept. 19, and is on a four-game winning streak overall. Even the Flames’ lone loss was a one-score game against JMU to open their season, so they haven’t suffered a blowout defeat.
While Sam Houston’s first two losses were by six points or fewer, and the Bearkats then earned a dominant 59-0 blowout win against Nicholls on Sept. 19, they’re still coming off a 35-point loss to Texas Tech and now have to face one of the top teams in the conference tonight.
Liberty’s defense has been pretty solid this season, allowing fewer than 300 total yards in three of its first five games, with the most allowed being 359 yards against Delaware last Friday. The Flames are also creating turnovers, with at least one takeaway in each of their last four games and multiple turnovers forced in three of those contests, including three against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 12.
With that said, Liberty’s offense is key here. The Flames have been very good offensively this season, with some of their notable stats mentioned above. On the other hand, Sam Houston’s defense, while not bad, is allowing nearly 400 total yards of offense per game when excluding its dominant performance against FCS opponent Nicholls.
- Liberty vs. Sam Houston Spread Pick for Tonight: Liberty -13.5 (-115)
Sam Houston vs. Liberty Betting Splits
Here’s how the action is trending at Hard Rock Bet for tonight’s CUSA college football matchup:
- Liberty is attracting nearly all of the moneyline support, with 96.44% of bets and 94.9% of the handle.
- The Flames are also drawing the majority of spread support, with 79.46% of bets and 74.62% of the handle.
- The Over accounts for most of the action on the total, with 71.46% of bets and 71.95% of the handle.
Sam Houston vs. Liberty Game Info
- š Where: Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, VA
- š Date: Thursday, Oct. 8
- ā° Kickoff: 7:00 PM ET
- šŗš» TV/Streaming: ESPNU
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Referenced odds are subject to change.
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