Wednesday’s Week 12 MAC Best Bets, Odds, Predictions

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

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The Mid-American Conference continues in Week 12 with its final three mid-week games of the 2020 regular season.

MACtion Betting Results - Week 10 & 11

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS)

• Home-Away: 8-4 SU, 5-7 ATS
• Favorites-Underdogs: 10-2 SU, 5-7 ATS
• Over-Under: 7-5

Unlike Tuesday's card, the games on Wednesday are expected to be much tighter among these six MAC schools.

Week 12 - Wednesday's MAC Schedule

• Northern Illinois at Ball State (7:00 p.m. ET)
• Toledo at Eastern Michigan (7:00 p.m. ET)
• Western Michigan at Central Michigan (8:00 p.m. ET)

Wednesday's MAC Best Bets

Northern Illinois (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS) at Ball State (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS)

• Odds: Ball State -14, O/U 62
• TV-Time: ESPNNews, 7:00 p.m.
• Venue: Scheumann Stadium
• Location: Muncie, Indiana

The Huskies were very competitive in the opening-game loss to Buffalo, falling 49-30. However, they shot themselves in the foot in that one, and they turned it over five times, including three which were returned for touchdowns. Last week they were smacked around 40-10 at home against Central Michigan, and they have failed to cover either outing to date.

NIU is averaging just 320.5 total yards to rank 113th in the nation, while posting just 115.0 rushing yards to rank 110th overall. Defensively, the Huskies have been stout against the pass, yielding just 187.0 yards per game. That's because everyone is running all over NIU, yielding 208.0 yards per game on the ground and 44.5 PPG.

Ball State picked up its first win last week with a 38-31 win over Eastern Michigan, just missing a cover as eight-point favorites. They also flipped the script after falling 38-31 in the opener at Miami-Ohio.

The Cardinals are averaging 507.0 total yards per game to check in 15th in the country, they're 32nd with 270.5 passing yards per game and 15th with 236.5 rushing yards per contest. QB Drew Plitt has been more of a caretaker in the offense, passing for 541 yards, but with just two touchdowns. RB Caleb Huntley is the stud in the offense, rushing for 334 yards and five scores.

The Huskies have covered seven of the past eight as a road underdog, while going 35-16-2 ATS in the past 53 on the road. For the Cardinals, they're 2-5 ATS in the past seven at home, and 1-5 ATS in the previous six as a favorite. NIU has dominated this series, cashing in seven of the previous eight meetings, including 5-0 ATS in the past five trips to Muncie. The Under is 4-0 in the past four meetings in Ball State, too.

Best Bet: Ball State -14

Toledo (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS) at Eastern Michigan (0-2 SU, 2-0 ATS)

• Odds: Toledo -6.5, O/U 61
• TV-Time: CBSSN, 7:00 p.m.
• Venue: Rynearson Stadium
• Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan

The Rockets very well should have won last week's game at Western Michigan, but they lost in the most excruciating way. Western Michigan recovered an onside kick, and did the fake spike play for a game-winning touchdown, stunning the Rockets 41-38 in Kalamazoo.

Toledo has racked up 512.5 total yards per game to rank 11th, while registering 276.5 passing yards to check in 26th. They also have an impressive 236.0 rushing yards per outing to rank 16th, so the offense has been strong.

The defensive numbers are a tad bit skewed for the Rockets, because they dominated the first game against a poor Bowling Green team, 38-3. They gave up 38 to WMU last week, and the defense is probably somewhere in between.

Eastern Michigan has fallen in each of its first two games, but they have registered a pair of covers - barely. The Eagles fell 27-23 at Kent State in the opener, hanging on for the cover at +4.5, and they lost at Ball State, 38-31, covering an eight-point number.

EMU has been semi-respectable in the pass game, going for 245.5 yards per game, but they have amassed just 144.0 rushing yards per game to check in 84th. Defensively, they're struggling, coughing up 483.5 total yards per contest, and they have been trampled for 258.0 rushing yards per game. Dual-threat QB Preston Hutchinson has been solid early on, completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 491 yards, three touchdowns and two picks, while also leading the team with 88 rushing yards and four scores. Yes, the leader of EMU is the quarterback - and he has 88 yards. That needs improvement.

Best Bet: Toledo -6.5

Western Michigan (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) at Central Michigan (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS)

• Odds: Central Michigan -1, O/U 59.5
• TV-Time: ESPN2, 7:00 p.m.
• Venue: Kelly/Shorts Stadium
• Location: Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Western Michigan hurtles into this one with a ton of momentum after a thrilling 41-38 victory over Toledo last week. They had the miracle win with an onside kick and fake spike to stun Toledo, moving to 2-0 SU/ATS while hitting the 'over' for a second consecutive outings. That's 460.5 total yards per game on offense, ranking 24th, and they have amassed 275.0 passing yards per contest to check in 27th.

Defensively, WMU has been just so-so, allowing 378.5 total yards per contest, while yielding 232.5 passing yards per outing. As far as rushing they have allowed 146.0 rushing yards per game and 25.5 PPG to check in 47th.

Broncos QB Kaleb Eleby has been everything as advertised, passing for 546 yards. He and WR D'Wayne Eskridge have been one of the best pass-catch combinations in the MAC, with Eskridge going for 245 yards. He might be one of the fastest players in the conference, too, and is a threat on special teams.

Head coach Dave McElwain's group has been solid early on, as they try to win the West again and play for a MAC title after coming short in last season's championship game. They pushed past a good Ohio team, 30-27, in the opener as 2.5-point underdogs, and they throttled Northern Illinois, 40-10, to cover a 5.5-point number. The offense has been good enough, led by RB Kobe Lewis, who has 171 rushing yards and three scores. QB Daniel Richardson also is holding it down with 439 passing yards, starting and winning two games in place of the suspended QB David Moore, who is still out after violating an NCAA rule for a banned substance last season.

Defense is where it's at for the Chips, as they rank eighth overall with 294.5 total yards allowed and they're ninth in the nation with just 92.0 rushing yards allowed. They have also allowed just 18.5 PPG.

The Broncos are 2-7 ATS in the past nine road games, 2-8-1 ATS in the past 11 as an underdog and 4-17 ATS across the past 21 following a cover.

The Chips are 10-0-1 ATS in their past 11 appearances on Wednesdays, and 7-1 ATS in the past eight in Mount Pleasant. However, they're 2-6 ATS in the past eight against winning sides. CMU is 0-4 ATS in the past four meetings with the Broncos, and the road team is 7-1 ATS in the previous eight in this series.

Best Bet: Under 59.5

VegasInsider Staff

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