New Orleans Bowl
Caesars SuperdomeNeutral siteIndoor

Western Kentucky27 @FINAL 16Southern Miss , Postseason, Dec 23, 2025

8-4 CUSA Power rating: -10.2
7-5 Sun Belt Power rating: -0.9

How did the line hold up?

Market line
USM -3.0
PM Implied
USM -1.0
Blue Chip model
USM -9.3
Edge
+6.3USM
See details
◂ favors WKUfavors USM ▸Market: USM -3.0
9.3 › USM
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2 WKU2 USM4 WKU4 USM6 WKU6 USMModel: USM -9.3

Betting information

Spread
USM -3.0
Total
59.5
Odds implied score
WKU 28.3 – 31.3 USM
Prediction markets
USM 55% win chance (Kalshi)

DraftKings · as of July 8, 2026

Western Kentucky defeated Southern Miss 27–16 in a double-digit victory. Western Kentucky covered by 14.0; Game went Under by 16.5. The market closed at Southern Miss -3.0 and the Blue Chip model made it Southern Miss -9.3 - a gap of 6.3 points toward Southern Miss, of which 6.3 points were beyond the model's measured factors. That was an information gap - the market pricing something the model does not carry - rather than a measured edge. Blue Chip Analytics had rated Southern Miss 9.3 points stronger on a neutral field.

What were the weather conditions for Western Kentucky vs Southern Miss?

This game was played indoors at Caesars Superdome in a climate-controlled environment. Weather was not a factor.

What happened in the game?

Western Kentucky travels 528 miles to this game, a moderate road trip.

The trip crosses none of the distance or time-zone thresholds that have measured a price, so travel is not a factor here.

Western Kentucky won by 11 in a double-digit victory.

Western Kentucky covered the spread comfortably.

The total went Under by 16.5 points.

How do Western Kentucky and Southern Miss compare on power ratings?

Blue Chip Analytics power ratings favor Southern Miss (-0.9) over Western Kentucky (-10.2) by 9.3 points on a neutral field. After adding home field advantage, the rating-implied line may differ meaningfully from the market spread. Neither team has a home-field advantage here, so the neutral-field differential above is already the venue-adjusted read.

Blue Chip Analytics power ratings represent expected point margin against an average FBS opponent on a neutral field, calculated from game data sourced via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD). They are one input: cross-reference with the travel, rest, and weather data above before drawing conclusions.

Sources

Weather

Western Kentucky won and Western Kentucky covered the spread.

Conditions

Indoor, climate controlled

~72°F

Caesars Superdome is a domed venue. Wind, precipitation and temperature are not factors in this game.

Wind map for Western Kentucky at Southern Miss: aerial view of Caesars Superdome

Quick facts

Week
Postseason
Kickoff (local)
04:30 PM CST
Venue
Caesars Superdome
Capacity
73,208
Elevation
3 ft
Surface
Artificial Turf

Travel and rest

Measure Western KentuckyAway Southern MissHome
This week528 miles105 miles
Last weekBye weekBye week
Season total5,649 miles2,589 miles
Body clock16:3016:30
Rest24 days24 days