Unpredictability and pure chaos. Those are just a few things that come to mind when you think of the MAC, and the next month of college football is going to be a wild ride. Midweek MACtion is back and has already been full of surprises. Wednesday night will bring another interesting slate with two games to look at, and here are our odds, predictions and picks.
Western Michigan-Bowling Green Prediction and Odds
Falcons Look to Roll
It is very hard to get out of a hole in the middle of a football season, but these teams will try to do that when the Western Michigan Broncos (3-5, 2-2 MAC West) go on the road to face the Bowling Green Falcons (4-4, 3-1 MAC East).
It has not been a season to be excited about, at all, for Western Michigan, but there is still time to improve. The Broncos can build on a 16-10 win over Miami Ohio in their last outing, and if they want a chance at a win Wednesday, they are going to need stellar play from their defense, which ranks fourth in the MAC. Bowling Green takes care of the football, and Western Michigan is going to need to force turnovers to flip momentum.
Bowling Green has won two straight very much due to the stellar play of quarterback Matt McDonald, who has 16 touchdown passes and only three interceptions this season. The Falcons rank in the middle of the pack in the MAC in offense, but the key for them is for their defense to stop giving up so many points. They are allowing more than 34 per game, and even though most of the highest-scoring outings came earlier in the season, they are going to face explosive offensive units in the weeks to come.
Bowling Green is a 4.5-point favorite at home, and the Falcons to cover this spread is the best bet for Wednesday night. This is a team that has been solid in all phases the past few weeks, and they can turn their season around a little bit starting here. There is a 48-point total for this game, and look toward the over. Both teams are average when it comes to offensive tempo, but with how smart Bowling Green is with the ball, they can find success against the Western Michigan defense, which has given up at least 30 points in five of its eight games.
Final Western Michigan-Bowling Green Pick: Bowling Green -4.5, Over 48 points
Central Michigan-Northern Illinois Prediction and Odds
Expect the Huskies to Cover
The Central Michigan Chippewas travel to face the Northern Illinois Huskies in this Wednesday night matchup. Each team is 2-6 and 1-3 in MAC play. Each is coming off a loss, so this is a very important weekend to rebound, with another loss likely to push that team out of contention for a bowl game. The Huskies do rank fifth in the MAC in total offense, very much due to an explosive rushing attack that has averaged more than 200 yards per game. Running back Harrison Waylee has rushed for 727 yards and five touchdowns.
Central Michigan faced one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country, which usually helps get a team battle-tested for the rest of the season. One bright spot has been its run defense, which ranks third in the MAC, and it will need to have one of its best games of the season against the strong rushing attack from Northern Illinois.
Northern Illinois is a 6-point home favorite, and the Huskies should cover this spread and get this season back on track. The total for this game is 56.5, and it looks like an under for this contest. Central Michigan likes to play fast and is 15th in the FBS in plays per game, but it has failed to put points on the board on a consistent basis and has been scoring 25 points per game. Northern Illinois ranks 11th in the FBS in time of possession per game and it will look to hold on to the football and control tempo with its rushing offense.
Final Central Michigan-Northern Illinois Pick: Northern Illinois -6, Under 56.5 points
