Midweek MACtion has returned.
Bowling Green will go on the road to take on Central Michigan in the first MAC game to kick off on Tuesday evening. And this isn’t an inconsequential clash in terms of the conference standings.
Bowling Green is 4-4 overall but 3-1 in MAC play, putting the Falcons in a tie for second in the league behind Western Michigan, which is 5-3 and 4-0 against MAC teams.
Meanwhile, Central Michigan is 3-5 overall and 1-3 against conference opponents after losing its last three contests. But the Chippewas still have a chance to earn bowl-eligibility, so they still have something to play for in the final month of the regular season.
Bowling Green vs. Central Michigan Betting Odds
Bowling Green is a -13.5 college football betting odds favorite against Central Michigan, with the Over/Under being 48.5.
The moneyline for Bowling Green is -600, while it’s +425 for Central Michigan.
Bowling Green vs. Central Michigan On TV
The matchup between Bowling Green and Central Michigan will be televised on ESPN2.
The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The contest is taking place at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
Bowling Green vs. Central Michigan Prediction
I predict Bowling Green will win but Central Michigan will cover the spread at +13.5. I also project the game will go Over 48.5 total points.
First, I don’t think 48.5 points will be too much for these two teams. In their last five outings, CMU has averaged 24.4 points per game while Bowling Green has averaged 25.8 points per contest, mostly against MAC competition.
And because I think it’ll be close, I anticipate there will be a good amount of scoring in the fourth quarter.
CMU may be on a three-game losing streak, but two of those three losses were by a combined six points against Ohio and Eastern Michigan. Plus, the Chippewas are now back at home after playing their last two games on the road, and I think that helps here.
Bowling Green has been a formidable opponent all season. During a three-game losing skid earlier in the year, the Falcons fell against Penn State, Texas A&M, and Old Dominion all by a touchdown or less. And now they’ve managed to find ways to win over the past month, including a 41-26 victory at Toledo in their last outing.
I think BGSU is the better team, but this is the Falcons’ second consecutive game on the road, so I could see this matchup being decided by a single touchdown.
