Top College Football Odds and Best Bets Today (Predictions and Picks for Wednesday Night MACtion)

Weeknights in November are for MACtion.

Us bettors are treated to a three game MAC slate on Wednesday with several teams vying to get to six wins and clinch a bowl berth. The tightest spread on the board is Miami (Ohio) traveling to face Northern Illinois as a small road underdog. The RedHawks need to win out in order to clinch bowl eligibility, can they win as small underdogs against a 3-7 Huskies team?

We have previews on all three games below, but head over to our picks page for game previews on all key games in Week 12.

Eastern Michigan vs. Kent State Prediction and Pick

Kent State is full of talent, but has underwhelmed when expected to win all season, mainly due to their porous defense. While the team faced a tough non conference schedule, the team remains poor on that end of the field, 112th in success rate and 125th in success rate against the pass.

This may be an issue against a formidable Eastern Michigan offense. While quarterback Taylor Powell has been injured at times this season, backup Austin Smith has done just fine and the offense hasn't missed a beat without Powell, ranking top 50 in success rate. It's unknown who will start this week, but it was Smith last week in the win against Akron, completing 16-of-28 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. The team is sixth in the country in red zone touchdown percentage and boasts a strong running game that is due in part to the teams elite MAC offensive line (top 50 in line yards).

Against a porous Kent State defense, EMU can match any offense that the Golden Flashes offense puts up and stay within one touchdown. Kent State's offense showed it's potential against Bowling Green with quarterback Collin Schlee fully healthy and Dante Cephas back from injury at receiver.

There is something to the point that Kent State hasn't covered as a big favorite all season against MAC foes and Eastern Michigan has the offense to stay within a touchdown against the Golden Flashes. I'll take the points and an outright upset wouldn't surprise me.

Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan Prediction and Pick

The Chips have far more to play for than the Broncos as the 4-6 home team can win their remaining two games and qualify for a bowl while the rebuilding visitors are 3-7 and can't get to the magical number of six wins and extend their season.

However, this number is an overreaction to the team's come from behind win over Buffalo that included a change at quarterback and that quarterback had 24 carries for 293 yards and three touchdowns. While WMU is far from great this season, they can hold their hat on a stout rush defense. The team is allowing less than four yards per carry, are top 25 in explosive run defense and allow a touchdown on less than 50% on red zone touchdown defense (14th in the country).

Western Michigan can shut down Emmanuel, if it's even him on Wednesday, or they can keep this game to low scoring affair and volatile Daniel Richardson can be baited into turnovers (WMU has generated 16 turnovers this season, the 27th highest mark in the country).

While the Broncos are putrid on offense, outside the top 100 in nearly all categories such as yards per play and points per drive, but this number is too wide after Central Michigan just closed as road underdogs to Northern Illinois and small home favorites against Buffalo. CMU is 1-4-1 ATS as a favorite, and now they are laying double digits. I'll play against it.

Miami (Ohio) vs. Northern Illinois Prediction and Pick

The Huskies have rotated through four different quarterbacks, most recently run-first QB Justin Lynch. The weekly guessing game of who will be healthy enough to start makes it difficult to handicap Northern Illinois games, but I do think that Miami has a good shot to win out and make a bowl game.

While the team struggled to slow down Kurtis Rourke and the Ohio offense last week en route to a 37-21, this is a different group for Northern Illinois that is more of a ground based unit. The team is 21st in rush rate per game on the year and is 32nd in success rate on the ground. However, Miami counters that with the 18th best rush defense in terms of success rate.

If Northern Illinois goes to Lynch again, a total non threat in the passing game, this can be tough sledding for the NIU offense. Meanwhile, I still believe in this RedHawks passing game with Brett Gabbert back under center. The offense slowed down considerably with Gabbert out due to injuries, but just last year this group had a top 25 passing game.

Against an NIU secondary that is 112th in success rate against the pass and 128th in EPA/Pass, I think we see the Miami offense look like the 2021 version again and win this game outright, keeping their bowl dreams alive.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.