MAC Football Betting Preview: Picks, Predictions, Over/Unders and Dark Horses

Everybody loves some MACtion during the middle of November weekdays.

The MAC usually takes stage later in the season when they dominate our Tuesday and Wednesday betting slate, but let's get ready for the season ahead of time. Northern Illinois won the conference title in 2021, its first since 2018, behind a memorable season that featured a ton of crazy finishes. However, the most talented team, Toledo, will look to break through this year with the return of young quarterback Dequan Finn.

Here is everything you need to know about the MAC heading into the 2022 season.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

MAC Regular Season Win Totals for Every Team

• Akron: 2.5 (Over +110/Under -130)
• Ball State: 5.5 (Over +130/Under -150)
• Bowling Green: 3.5 (Over -150/Under +130)
• Buffalo: 5.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
• Central Michigan: 7.5 (Over -125/Under +105)
• Eastern Michigan: 6.5 (Over +135/Under -160)
• Kent State: 5 (Over -125/Under +105)
• Miami (Ohio): 6.5 (Over -135/Under +115)
• Northern Illinois: 6.5 (Over -150/Under +130)
• Ohio: 5.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
• Toledo: 8 (Over -105/Under -115)
• Western Michigan: 6.5 (Over +125/Under -145)

Every Team's Odds to Win MAC Championship

• Akron: +9000
• Ball State: +2800
• Bowling Green: +3500
• Buffalo: +1400
• Central Michigan: +380
• Eastern Michigan: +1300
• Kent State: +800
• Miami (Ohio): +425
• Northern Illinois: +600
• Ohio: +1800
• Toledo: +400
• Western Michigan: +850

MAC Championship Favorite: Central Michigan (+380)

Central Michigan narrowly missed the MAC title game last year, but put together a strong campaign behind the fine play of Daniel Richardson (24-6 TD:INT ratio) and star running back Lew Nichols, who was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2021.

The offense is arguably the best in the conference this season with the entire offensive line back that started the Sun Bowl victory over Washington State. However, the questions come on defense.

The team only returns four starters, and will look to replace star defensive end Troy Hairston, who had nine sacks last season.

The team has a pair of challenging road games in conference play, going to Toledo and Northern Illinois (off a bye), but do also draw a roadie at bottom feeder Akron. If the defense can come close to last year's success that allowed just 3.3 yards per carry, Central Michigan is going to be in the mix to come out of the West division.

MAC Championship Dark Horse: Ohio (+1800)

There is a ton of parity in this conference year over year so I'll look further down the board for a dark horse pick. Why not Ohio? A team that had everything go wrong for them last season, the Bobcats have some upside in 2022.

After long time head coach Frank Solich stepped down abruptly last summer, the Bobcats struggled all season, going 3-9 behind a poor defense and an inconsistent offense that utilized a quarterback by committee.

If you look hard enough, Ohio was a few bounces away from a competitive MAC season. It went 3-5 in MAC play with a combined score margin of minus-7. Can the team get some one score variance in its direction?

The team hasn't won a MAC title since 1968, but return quarterback Kurtis Rourke as well as three starting offensive lineman.

There is a ton of turnover in the passing game, as the Bobcats are losing three of their top four pass catchers, but with a full offseason under Albin, the former offensive coordinator, hopefully their can be some progression from this unit.

The defense was bottom 30 in nearly all major categories, but brings back nine starters and brought in Spence Nowinsky to head up the defense, who was the co-defensive coordinator at Miami (OH).

There is a ton of variance in the MAC, and Ohio plays in the far easier division, ripe for a team to jump to the top. Road games at Kent State and Miami (OH) may decide its postseason hopes, but the team avoids Toledo and Central Michigan from the West.

It's a long shot, but I see some upside from the Bobcats in 2022.

MAC Championship Pick: Toledo over Kent State

There's a ton of ways the MAC can play out, but Toledo enters as the most talented roster in the conference. Despite going 5-3 in league play last year, it's not due to lack of talent. The team lost three MAC games that it was favored by more than a field goal in.

However, this is a more experienced unit with Finn set to start his first full season at QB. A dual threat who passed for over 2,000 yards and rushed for over 500 in seven starts, Finn will anchor an offense that has seven starters back and capable running backs to fill in for 1,447 yard rusher Bryant Koback, including Finn. Keep an eye on Micah Kely and Jacquez Stuart, who each averaged over five yards per carry in limited roles last season.

The real threat is the team's defense, which brings back eight starters to a unit that allowed 4.85 yards per play, the 12th best mark in the country. Overall they were 14th in defensive success rate and allowed a touchdown on just 42% of red zone trips. This is the best team in the conference, but they are in a hard division.

While I think Ohio is an underrated threat in the East division, Kent State is a worthy contender.

Scott Hamilton needs to answer questions for his offense that must replace MAC MVP Dustin Crum at quarterback after a MAC title appearance last season. However, there is still talent on hand for a unit that brings back star receiver Dante Cephas (1,240 receiving yards).

The biggest addition comes on the defensive side, hiring defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson, who built top 20 defenses at the FCS level the past three seasons. He will look to rebuild a defense that allowed more than 30 points nine times last season (some of that due to the speed of Kent State's offense).

Kent State's defense should take a step forward, but the offense may regress, costing them against the well rounded Rockets in a second straight title game.

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