A game with bowl ramifications takes place on Wednesday night when the Ohio Bobcats and Central Michigan Chippewas collide in a MACtion showdown at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. Central Michigan (5-5 overall, 3-3 in MAC) already has surpassed its win total from last season (four) but needs one more victory to become bowl-eligible for the third time in four years under coach Jim McElwain. Meanwhile Ohio (7-3, 4-2), which is one game behind Miami (OH) in the East Division, is still alive to reach the conference championship game but cannot afford a loss to the Chippewas.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The Bobcats are 11-point favorites in the latest SportsLine consensus Ohio vs. Central Michigan odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 46.5. Before locking in any Central Michigan vs. Ohio picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed the model has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio vs. Central Michigan and just locked in its picks and MACtion predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Central Michigan vs. Ohio:
- Ohio vs. Central Michigan spread: Bobcats -11
- Ohio vs. Central Michigan over/under: 46.5 points
- Ohio vs. Central Michigan money line: Bobcats -443, Chippewas +332
- OHIO: The Bobcats rank fifth in the country in scoring defense (15.1 points per game allowed)
- CMU: Marion Lukes is ninth in the nation in all-purpose yards (138.10 per game).
- Ohio vs. Central Michigan: See picks at SportsLine
- Ohio vs. Central Michigan live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Ohio can cover
Bobcats linebacker Keye Thompson is coming off a big game against Buffalo. In the 20-10 victory over the Bulls, the 6-foot-1, 239-pound graduate student from Barberton, Ohio, made a team-best 13 tackles, including 12 solo stops. He also led the team in tackles for loss (three), forced fumbles (one) and fumble recoveries (one) and returned a fumble 71 yards for a touchdown. For his efforts last week, he was named the MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week.
In addition, Ohio faces a Central Michigan team that has struggled on the road this season. The Chippewas are 1-5 away from Mount Pleasant. The average margin of defeat in those contests has been 14.2 points per game. See which team to pick here.
Why Central Michigan can cover
The Chippewas have a dangerous multipurpose threat in Marion Lukes. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound running back and returner from Charlestown, Ind., leads the conference and ranks ninth in the country in all-purpose yards (138.10). Two weeks ago he ran for a career-high 202 yards and a touchdown in a 37-31 win over Northern Illinois.
In addition, Central Michigan has dominated the series against Ohio. The Chippewas are 27-5-2 all-time record against the Bobcats since the series began in 1972. Central Michigan has won each of the last six matchups against Ohio as well as the last four games played in Athens. See which team to pick here.
How to make Ohio vs. Central Michigan picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over the point total, predicting a combined 50 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can see the model’s CFB picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Central Michigan vs. Ohio, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ohio vs. Central Michigan spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
