The beauty of the Sun Bowl in El Paso. The hilarity that is Big Red at Western Kentucky. And apparently, the welcoming committee for former FCS teams.
Casual college football fans might overlook the CUSA. But the true sickos among us appreciate it for what it is. Pure, unadulterated college football madness.
Liberty is once again the frontrunner this season while Delaware and Missouri State make their FBS debuts. See? The CUSA has something for everyone.
Here are my college football picks and CUSA preview for this underappreciated conference.
Conference USA best bets for 2025
Read on for our full analysis and Conference USA breakdown!
Odds to win the Conference USA
| Team | Odds to win | Win total O/U |
|---|---|---|
 Liberty |
+115 | 9.5 |
 Western Kentucky |
+450 | 7.5 |
 Louisiana Tech |
+950 | 6.5 |
 Jacksonville State |
+1100 | 6.5 |
 Sam Houston State |
+1100 | 4.5 |
 UTEP |
+1400 | 5.5 |
 Middle Tennessee |
+1600 | 4.5 |
 FIU |
+1600 | 5.5 |
 New Mexico State |
+2200 | 4.5 |
 Kennesaw State |
+3000 | 3.5 |
 Missouri State |
OTB | 4.5 |
 Delaware |
OTB | 4.5 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Conference USA preview: Up in Flames!
After somewhat of a down year for Liberty, the Liberty Flames are ready to reclaim their place atop the CUSA.
Coastal Carolina QB Ethan Vasko comes in to replace Kaidon Salter, and he could even be an upgrade in Jamey Chadwell’s offense. With seven starters returning on the defensive side of the ball, it’s no wonder that Liberty should be favored in every game they play this season.
The Flames' biggest challenge this season should come from Western Kentucky. They are the only two teams with odds lower than +1000 to win the conference.
Does that mean there could be a dark-horse contender to win this crazy conference?
Plus, Delaware and Missouri State make their FBS debuts.
The favorites
Just two seasons removed from Liberty’s impressive 13-1 season, the Flames are once again the prohibitive favorite to win the CUSA this season.
Yes, they have to replace Kaidon Salter, who has been a big part of this team the last few years. However, he took a bit of a step back last season as the team went 8-4. Replacing running back Quinton Cooley will be the bigger issue.
But this season, Liberty will be powered by its defense, which should be the best in the conference by a pretty significant margin. Mix in a favorable schedule where the toughest matchups are James Madison at home in Week 4 and a trip to Louisiana Tech in Week 13, and the Flames could be undefeated heading into the CUSA title game.
Their biggest challenge should come from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, and if the Toppers want to pull off an upset in the conference, they’ll need to outgun Liberty.
To do that, head coach Tyson Helton brought in the OC-QB combo from Abilene Christian of Rick Bowie and Maverick McIvor. Great football name by the way. The continuity should help this offense full of transfers gel quickly.
However, a defense that was this team’s strength last season needs to replace nine starters.
The rest of the field
Liberty and Western Kentucky are the favorites to win the CUSA at +120 and +430, respectively. Then there is a void. Then six teams are sitting between +1000 and +2000.
A dark-horse contender could emerge from this group. The question is who?
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are intriguing at +1000. The Bulldogs have one of the better and more experienced QBs in the conference in Evan Bullock.
Reigning champion Jacksonville State Gamecocks is +1400 after head coach Rich Rodriguez left to take the West Virginia, and a mass exodus soon followed.
The UTEP Miners at +1600 show some potential. Former No. 1 overall recruit in the country, Malachi Nelson, was just announced as the starter. He’s going to have some great weapons to work with, including wideout Kenny Odom and some real playmakers on the defensive line.
Meanwhile, the Florida International Panthers are much better than last season's 4-8 record. QB Keyon Jenkins has the chance to be one of the conference's best signal callers and could lead the Panthers to a big jump in wins this season.
The Missouri State Bears and Delaware Blue Hens can’t win the conference in their first year, but at the very least, the Blue Hens could make their presence felt in their first season in the FBS thanks to a defense that should be surprisingly stout.
Pick to win the Conference USA: Liberty (+120)
I really wanted to find one of the dark-horse teams to pick here. I almost went with UTEP after they named Nelson the starter and their ability to pressure opposing QBs, but I just can’t get past how far ahead Liberty looks compared to the rest of the conference.
The Flames are far and away the most complete and talented team in the CUSA and have a relatively soft schedule to boot. I’d be shocked if Liberty didn’t return to the conference title game this season.
Favorite win totals bet: UTEP Over 5.5 (+108)
I couldn’t get there with UTEP to win the conference, but let’s take them to go Over their win total, which sits at a modest 5.5.
The Miners are coming off a 3-9 season, but head coach Scotty Walden has this group confident heading into this year, and that starts under center.
After stops at USC and Boise State, former No. 1 overall recruit Malachi Nelson finally gets his chance to start.
And he’ll have some help. Wideouts Kenny Odum and Kam Thomas are explosive, and Charlotte transfer Hahsaun Wilson should give this team a boost in the run game.
Defensively, they should also improve. UTEP will be able to pressure opposing QBs up the middle with tackle KD Johnson collapsing the pocket on the regular.
The schedule isn’t terrible, either. The Miners avoid Western Kentucky and get Liberty at home.
I’m betting they’ll be favored in their final six games of the season, and with early-season matchups against FCS UT Martin and ULM, I love UTEP to go Over this number at plus money.
Bonus bet: Sam Houston Under 4.5 wins (+100)
Phil Longo’s first season at the helm of the Sam Houston Bearkats could be a long one, made even longer by the fact that the Bearkats ' home games will be played more than an hour away from campus due to renovations at Bowers Stadium.
Then there’s the roster. Sam Houston came into the FBS with its defense being its strength. Defensive coordinator Skylar Cassity went to North Texas, and nearly all their starters are gone.
Longo is an offense-first head coach, and while he gets his starting QB Hunter Watson back, he’s missing his top running back and three of his top four pass catchers.
There is just too much for the Bearkats to overcome this season, and it’s hard to project more than a couple of wins on this schedule. I’ll take the Under at even money.
Best Conference USA player prop bet
Over Maverick McIver Passing Props
McIver will be comfortable with the system since he came over from Abilene Christian with offensive coordinator Rick Bowie, even if the offensive line isn't great. WKU and McIver can compensate for that with his quick release and reads, combined with increasing their tempo this season.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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