This college football season, Group of Five teams have battled to be in a position to win their respective leagues. In the MAC in particular, some pivotal contests will be played this week.
Here are some against the spread and Over/Under predictions for MACtion in Week 12.
Akron vs. NIU Prediction
I predict Northern Illinois will win and cover the spread at +14.5. I also project the game will go Under 43.5 total points.
The Huskies may not be where they thought they’d be at this point of the season following their win over Notre Dame. But they can still make it to a bowl game, and with tougher games against Miami (Ohio) and Central Michigan after this, NIU might want to get that sixth win now.
I’m optimistic about how NIU’s defense is playing recently. The Huskies allow an average of 18.8 points per game this season. They also give up 287.7 yards per game. Both of those numbers are No. 1 in the MAC.
The Huskies’ offense hasn’t been fantastic, but they have scored 23 or more points in each of their last two outings. I think that level of play will be enough for the Huskies to win by three possessions against an Akron team that has struggled on offense throughout the year.
Kent State vs. Miami (Ohio) Prediction
I predict Miami (Ohio) will win and cover the spread at +30.5. I also project the game will go Over 47.5 total points.
I think this Kent State team is motivated to not end the season without a single victory. But the Golden Flashes haven’t been great in recent weeks. They’ve allowed 37 or more points against all but two of their opponents this season. And on offense, they’ve scored a combined 27 points in their last three games.
The RedHawks are on a mission to defend their MAC title. After their loss against Toledo earlier in the season, they’ve won four straight games, and only one of those contests was decided by one possession.
I expect Miami to take control of this contest early and triumph in a blowout.
Eastern Michigan vs. Ohio Prediction
I predict Ohio will win but Eastern Michigan will cover the spread at +11.5. I also project the game will go Under 51.5 total points.
Ohio has put up a decent amount of points in recent weeks, but I think this Eastern Michigan game will prove to be a little bit more difficult.
Just a couple weeks ago, EMU was in the mix to compete for the MAC Championship. Back-to-back losses against Akron and Toledo might prevent that from happening, but the Eagles still have a good team and have something to play for – bowl-eligibility.
Ohio does have four MAC wins, but those games were against teams that are currently in the bottom half of the conference standings. I’m anticipating Ohio will find a way to win at home, but I’m also expecting this contest to be decided by a touchdown or less.
