There are a lot of games to choose between the real favorites and the rest of the teams in the MAC.
The gate between Miami University and Central Michigan is interesting, and the defense between Toledo and Bowling Green should be tough. The game between Buffalo and Ohio is pretty much a matter of life or death, and Northern Illinois needs to get going quickly.
Here are my picks for every MAC game in Week 9. Each one comes with a short summary.
Buffalo at Ohio
12:00 pm ET, CBS Sports Network
Which one wants to keep chasing the MAC title? Ohio (4-3) played hard but lost to Miami. Things have been going well so far. The Buffalo Bills (4-3) haven’t always played well, but they’ve had some great games out of the blue. Ohio will have control of third downs because UB doesn’t have a passing game.
Buffalo at Ohio Prediction, Betting Lines
Line: Ohio -6, o/u: 44.5
Prediction: Ohio 27, Buffalo 20
Central Michigan at Miami University
2:00 pm ET, ESPN+
College of Miami (3-4) is back on track. Now that the tough parts of the schedule are over, even though they lost to Toledo, this is when the team goes on a run. There are a lot of close games for Central Michigan (3-4). The last four games were all won by a total of ten points. The MU defense will hold up, but CMU will keep trying to score late.
Central Michigan at Miami University Prediction, Betting Lines
Line: Miami University -11.5, o/u: 47.5
Prediction: Miami University 31, Central Michigan 20
Eastern Michigan at Akron
3:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Eastern Michigan (5-2) keeps going strong in the background. After a huge loss to Miami University, the win over Central Michigan kept them in the race. Now that they’re on the road, they should play well. Akron (1-6) hasn’t been terrible, but they just can’t score. It will have some good times at home, but it won’t be able to hold on.
Eastern Michigan at Akron Prediction, Betting Lines
Line: Eastern Michigan -2.5, o/u: 50.5
Prediction: Eastern Michigan 27, Akron 24
Northern Illinois at Ball State
3:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Northern Illinois (4-3) almost didn’t make it to the MAC title game because they lost to Toledo. They had to be perfect the rest of the way to make it. A Ball State (2-5) team that isn’t always reliable will have no trouble against a team of the same size. This year it was close against the average team, but the Huskies’ ground game will be too strong for it.
Northern Illinois at Ball State Prediction, Betting Lines
Line: Northern Illinois -12.5, o/u: 47.5
Prediction: Northern Illinois 28, Ball State 20
Bowling Green at Toledo
3:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Will Toledo (5-2) be able to keep up the good work after beating Northern Illinois 13–6? It’s back in the running for the MAC title even though it lost to Buffalo. Up next is Bowling Green (3-4), which has found its defense but is having trouble getting the offense going. The Rockets will stay perfect at home with a late field goal, so the game won’t have many points.
Bowling Green at Toledo Prediction, Betting Lines
Line: Toledo -2.5, o/u: 48.5
Prediction: Toledo 23, Bowling Green 20
Kent State at Western Michigan
3:30 pm ET, ESPN+
Kent State (0-7) keeps up the good fight, but the defense can’t make a big stop, and the offense keeps stuttering along. Their offense (4-3) could go too fast, but their defense will let them have just enough good plays to keep this close for a while.
Kent State at Western Michigan Prediction, Betting Lines
Line: Kent State -18.5, o/u: 60.5
Prediction: Western Michigan 48, Kent State 30
