Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks
So, the rivalry between the Western Michigan Broncos (3-7, 2-4, Mid-American Conference) and Central Michigan Chippewas (4-6, 3-3) loses a bit of luster this time around, with both teams under .500. It’s not as if they are turning things around, either, with the Broncos 1-4 in their previous five games, CMU at 2-4 in its last six. Despite poor overall records, this Battle for Victory Cannon figures to be competitive.
Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports and college football lines for Western Michigan vs Central Michigan. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
Broncos Sliding
Western Michigan’s season was upended after starting quarterback Jack Salopek threw five interceptions against Ohio, then was benched. Ohio was also the last game we saw running back La’Darius Jefferson, out indefinitely (injury shoulder).
The Broncos haven’t recovered after that awful one-two gut punch.
Sean Tyler is the current statistical leader of this offense, 80+ rushing yards in the Broncos‘ last four games, and two touchdowns in the previous three weeks.
Meanwhile, Treyson Bourguet has not looked good in relief of Salopek. In his three starts, Bourguet is 47-of-90 (499 yards, two touchdowns, one interception). He’s also been sacked nine times. Bourguet has 97 yards and a touchdown on the ground, but not Salopek (when he isn’t throwing more passes to the other team).
CMU, too
In a rivalry game such as this, the little things decide the fate of our underdogs. With that in mind, we don’t have much faith in the Chippewas covering this double-digit spread.
CMU’s awful 50% field-goal conversion rate is among the issues. It can’t expect to win consistently while missing half of its field goals. Turnovers are also an issue, as are penalties The Chippewas have been assessed an average of 66.4 penalty yards (7.4 flags) per game.
Along with a defense ranking outside the top 100 in the nation, CMU is just 3-5 ATS in their previous eight games.
Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Game Injuries
Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Head-to-Head
Central Michigan team is the current owner of the Victory Cannon, after a 42-30 victory in 2021 as nine-point underdogs. It was the first time since 2017 that the Chippewas beat the Broncos.
Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Game Information
- Game: Western Michigan (3-7, 2-4 MAC) vs Central Michigan (4-6, 3-3)
- Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, MI
- Day/Time: Wednesday, Nov. 16th, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Live Stream: ESPN
Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Betting Lines
Western Michigan vs Central Michigan Picks & Prediction
This is a classic case of a team (CMU) with a good offense, but lousy defense going against a team (WMU) with a bad offense and a decent defense. This is suggesting a well-matched game that comes down to the wire.
With the spread at Western Michigan +11½, we are recommending the underdogs. The Chippewas just don’t do the small things well that we’d want to see, and the Broncos are also on a 2-0 ATS streak. That’s a positive when choosing a 3-7 team.
Regarding the total, rivalry games tend to be high-octane, and this rivalry has gone over in the last two seasons.
The Western Michigan Broncos are listed at +340 in our Vegas NCAAF lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Western Michigan, you have a chance to win $340. The Central Michigan Chippewas are -450, offering a chance to win $22.22 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Western Michigan a 22.73% chance to win, with Central Michigan at 81.82%.
