2025 Myrtle Beach Bowl Prediction: Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan

How To Watch Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan

Date: Friday, December 19, 2025
Game Time: 11:00 am ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Brooks Stadium, Conway, SC

- Bowl Schedule, Predictions, Lines
- All 41 Bowl First Thoughts Picks
- What to Know About All 84 Bowl Teams

Why Kennesaw State Will Win

It's not always a brick wall of a defense, but when it dials it up with its terrific pass rush, it's a hard team to get past.

When the defense isn't able to generate pressure, that's when there's a problem. There wasn't anything happening behind the line against Indiana - as it turns out, the Hoosiers are pretty good - and the Owls got picked apart.

There also wasn't much pressure in the first meeting with Jacksonville State, and there was a big problem slowing things down.

That all changed in the Conference USA Championship. Kennesaw State attacked, attacked, attacked, and the Gamecocks didn't have much of an answer until it was too late.

There's no real worry about a Western Michigan offensive explosion.

The line isn't too bad in pass protection, but that's partly because there isn't enough of a passing attack to get things moving. The offense hasn't hit 200 yards through the air in two months, and doesn't press down the field. However ...

Why Western Michigan Will Win

The Broncos know how to control games.

Kennesaw State likes to move quickly, but that doesn't always work, and it gets crushed in the time of possession battle. 

Western Michigan will happily live to fight another day rather than screw up. The special teams are solid, the defense is great, and the team is fantastic at slowing things down to a halt and making you play its way.

The combination of quarterback Broc Lowry and running back Jalen Buckley control games on the ground, the rested defense is good at getting off the field fast, and this team just doesn't screw up.

The turnovers have slowed to a crawl over the second half of the year, and forget about this bunch getting flagged enough to matter. But ...

Kennesaw State vs Western Michigan Prediction, Betting Lines

Kennesaw State has been good at keeping the turnovers to a minimum, too.

These are two terrifically coached teams who each need to play their respective styles. Kennesaw State wants to press and get this game into more of an offensive fight if it can.

Western Michigan can play along, to a point, but it's 9-0 when allowing fewer than 23 points, and Kennesaw State has only been held to under 24 three times. Once was in the Conference USA Championship, and the other two times were against Indiana and Wake Forest.

Western Michigan's ability to control the tempo will be enough to pull this off.

It might not be a scintillating battle, but it might be the best Myrtle Beach Bowl yet.

Western Michigan 27, Kennesaw State 23 
Line: Western Michigan -3.5, o/u: 49.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 3.5
- Bowl History and MVPs

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.