MACtion returns to the college football betting board Wednesday and oddsmakers think the tightest game of the bunch will be when the Central Michigan Chippewas host the Ohio Bobcats.
The Chippewas are 1-point home favorites over the Bobcats in a matchup of MAC teams that both averaged over 30 points per game on offense last season, but both will have to work in new starting quarterbacks, so, who has the edge?
Let’s take a look at our best college football predictions for Ohio at Central Michigan, with kickoff scheduled for Wednesday, November 4 at 7:00 ET.
Ohio Bobcats at Central Michigan Chippewas betting preview
Weather
It should be a beautiful night for football in central Michigan. The forecast is calling for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-50s for game time with an eight-mile per hour wind blowing towards the northeast corner of the stadium. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key Injuries
Ohio: No injuries to report.
Central Michigan: David Moore QB (Questionable), Josh Crawford RB (Out).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Central Michigan has dominated this matchup in recent years, going 4-0 SU/ATS over the last four meetings. Find more NCAA betting trends for Ohio vs. Central Michigan.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
Ohio went 7-6 last season, ranking second in the MAC in scoring at 34.7 points per game, but will now have to replace the production of Nathan Rourke. The former Bobcat threw for 7,457 yards with 60 touchdowns and 20 interceptions while adding 2,672 yards 51 scores on the ground during his three years in Ohio.
Next up at QB for Ohio will either be UNLV transfer Armani Rogers, or Nathan’s little brother, freshman Kurtis Rourke. Whoever is under center for Ohio will have some weapons at his disposal.
Running backs O’Shaan Allison and De’Montre Tuggle both return, and both averaged over six yards per carry last year. The entire receiving corps returns as well, led by Isiah Cox.
Central Michigan on the other hand went 6-1 down the stretch to earn a spot in last season’s MAC title game before falling to Miami (Ohio) in the championship. The Chippewas followed that by getting thumped by San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl.
The Chippewas won’t have senior QB David Moore, who was suspended last season for an illegal substance, which means Daniel Richardson will be the man under center. Richardson has the benefit of a 1,000 yard rusher in Kobe Lewis and two first-team All-MAC receivers in Kalil Pimpleton and JaCorey Sullivan out wide.
Both defenses will return a lot of experience, but the Chippewas might have a slight edge. CMU has one of the top defensive lines in the country and allowed just 3.4 yards per carry last year, while Ohio has to replace its best defender in Jevon Hagan.
It’s hard to know what to expect in this game, but with the Chippewas having a few more weapons and the ability to stuff the run, we’re siding with the home team.
PREDICTION: Central Michigan -1 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The total for this game hit the board at 60, which isn’t surprising considering these teams combined to score 65 points per game last season, while allowing a tick under 55. But the number has come down a half-point, which also shouldn’t be surprising.
The elder Rourke did everything for the Bobcats. He was the offense. No matter who is under center for Ohio, there is just no way you are going to replace that kind of production right away. So, even though there are some talented pieces on the Bobcats’ offense there is certainly going to be a transition period.
The same can be said for Richardson and Central Michigan. The redshirt freshman has a total of three career pass attempts.
But both teams feature experienced and capable running backs. Expect them to lean on their ground games early on and run that clock out a little faster.
PREDICTION: Under 59.5 (-110)
Team to Score First Prop
Central Michigan was one of the better teams in the MAC when it came to first-quarter scoring, putting up 6.1 points per contest, a number which bumped to 11.8 when playing at home. Being at home should mean the Chippewas are slightly more comfortable between these two teams early on, which means there is good value with Central Michigan to open the scoring.
PREDICTION: Central Michigan (-109)
Ohio vs Central Michigan betting card
- Central Michigan -1 (-110)
- Under 59.5 (-110)
- Score first - Central Michigan (-109)
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