Both Miami (Ohio) and Colorado State didn’t start their seasons the way they wanted to. And both of them bounced back in resounding fashions.
Miami faced a brutal non-conference schedule, losing at Northwestern 13-6, against Cincinnati 27-16, and at Notre Dame 28-3 before earning its first victory of the year against UMass, 23-20. The RedHawks then began MAC play with a 10-point loss at Toledo, and it seemed Miami might not even earn bowl-eligibility, let alone return to the conference championship.
But the RedHawks accomplished both of those tasks. They won their next seven games against MAC opponents, and only one of those contests was decided by one possession. However, Miami didn’t defend its conference championship after winning last year and lost to Ohio 38-3 in the MAC title game.
Colorado State, meanwhile, lost three of its first five games against Texas, Colorado, and Oregon State. The Rams did beat Northern Colorado and UTEP during that stretch.
CSU undoubtedly played at a high level after that. The Rams won six of their games against Mountain West opponents, only losing to Fresno State by six points. That one loss, though, did keep CSU from competing in the conference championship.
Now the Rams and the RedHawks hope to continue the momentum they found during the second half of the regular season when they face off in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.
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Miami (Ohio) vs. Colorado State Betting Odds
Miami (Ohio) is a -2.5 college football betting odds favorite against Colorado State, with the Over/Under being 42.5.
The moneyline for Miami (Ohio) is -140, while it’s +115 for Colorado State.
Miami (Ohio) vs. Colorado State On TV
The matchup between Miami (Ohio) and Colorado State will be televised on The CW Network.
The game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 28. The contest is taking place at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.
Miami (Ohio) vs. Colorado State Prediction
I predict Miami (Ohio) will win and cover the spread at -2.5. I also project the game will go Under 42.5 total points.
I like how Colorado State played this season, especially down the stretch. But I think Miami’s defense will prove to be too strong here.
The RedHawks ranked in the top 25 in the country for scoring defense (18.9 points per game allowed) and total defense (321.4 yards per game allowed). CSU was outside of the top 70 in scoring offense and total offense, averaging 25 points and 381.6 yards per game.
Miami’s offense wasn’t exactly exceptional this year, averaging 349 yards and 22.6 points per contest, which was outside of the top 100 in the FBS. But I think the RedHawks will find a way to control the game on the ground and let their defense establish the tone of the contest en route to a victory.
