In a league of extreme highs and lows, both the Buffalo Bulls and the Eastern Michigan Eagles are just existing in the middle. But there’s still plenty to play for.
Buffalo still retains an outside shot at reaching the MAC Football Championship Game, while Eastern Michigan is just one win away from bowl eligibility. With both teams led by strong coaches, our Buffalo vs. Eastern Michigan prediction looks at the spread and total and provides analysis for this Wednesday night MACtion clash.
Buffalo vs. Eastern Michigan Betting Preview
All Buffalo vs. Eastern Michigan odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Buffalo -3 - Spread
Pick ’em - Moneyline
Buffalo -110, Eastern Michigan -110 - Over/Under
52.5 points - Game Time
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m. ET - Location
Rynearson Stadium | Ypsilanti, Mich. - Predicted Weather at Kick
43 degrees, rainy, 15 mph winds - How To Watch
ESPN
Both of these teams have followed similar trajectories, with promising seasons somewhat derailed by close losses. Still, Eastern Michigan can make a bowl with a win and Buffalo is still mathematically alive for the MAC title.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Vegas has this as a true pick ’em, even if your book might list one or the other as a one-point favorite. Eastern Michigan opened as a 1.5-point favorite, and that has ticked down. There’s been a ton of movement on the total up to 52.5 (or even 53.5 at some books) from 49.5. As it stands, this is expected to be a 27-26 type of game.
Buffalo’s Winning Probability
CFN’s FPM is slightly higher on the Bulls than the sportsbooks, giving them a 58.9% chance to win on Wednesday. That translates to a spread of about three points. The Bulls will finish the year at home against Kent State, meaning that a win on Wednesday could put them in a weirdly comfortable spot next week.
- at Eastern Michigan: 58.9%
- vs. Kent State: 83.3%
Eastern Michigan’s Winning Probability
The goal for the Eagles is first to make a bowl, as they’ve been stuck at five wins for a month. It’s not going to be easy, as Eastern Michigan ends the season with Western Michigan on the road. The Eagles have a 41.1% chance to win on Wednesday, per CFN’s FPM metric.
- vs. Buffalo: 41.1%
- at Western Michigan: 28.4%
Prediction for Buffalo vs. Eastern Michigan
“Hey Siri, show me the most MACtion of all MACtion games.”
“Here’s what I found. Buffalo plays at Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. The forecast is 40 degrees and raining and the spread is zero points.”
While I don’t think the AI in your phone or watch would respond in that exact way, games like this are why so many hardcore college football fans love the Mid-American Conference. To add intrigue, Eastern Michigan quarterback Cole Snyder is facing his former team.
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But while the offenses both have some firepower, this is about two programs that want to “out-tough” one another. Eastern Michigan is built on toughness and grit, two things the Eagles have lacked in recent weeks.
They’ll try to get back to it against a Bulls team that has some of the stronger individual defenders in the conference.
These teams are evenly matched, as evidenced by the line, but I think “offense” could be the name of the game on Wednesday, and one team in particular is better equipped to handle a shootout.
The Buffalo defense has struggled in the last month, but the offense has put together back-to-back stellar outings. They were even able to overcome some uncharacteristic turnovers in last week’s overtime victory over the Ball State Cardinals.
The weather could have a serious impact on this game. Winds could gust into the mid-20s and it should be rainy and cold for most of the game. While each team’s passing game could be affected, I think it really changes things on special teams.
Expect special teams wizard Pete Lembo to have a couple of tricks up his sleeve in a game when punting might not actually provide much help.
Expect a sloppy game with several turnovers, but players will tell you that rain hurts the defenses more than the offenses, and I agree here. There could be several game-changing big plays in all three phases of the game.
Accordingly, I’m taking the team that has the advantage in at least two of those phases.
Take the Bulls, and if you can get in early on the rising total, take the over as well. More than anything, prioritize getting eyes on this game. It should be fun.
Prediction: Buffalo 30, Eastern Michigan 25
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