The two oldest universities in Ohio will meet in Tuesday night’s MACtion headliner.
Ohio (7-2, 5-0 MAC) is closing in on its third trip to the MAC Championship Game in five years, but to get there, it’ll need to get the better of Miami (5-4, 3-2) in the annual Battle of the Bricks.
Bookmakers are expecting a classic MACtion battle, as the line for this game has essentially settled as a pick’em.
Ohio vs. Miami (Ohio) picks, odds
Considering the circumstances, John Hauser has done a splendid job in his first full season as a head coach at Ohio.
Hauser was not expected to be in this position, but his predecessor, Brian Smith, was fired at the end of last season amid allegations that he had an affair with a student.
Hauser’s job was to calm the waters, but he’s done more than that. The Bobcats are the only undefeated team in the MAC and their numbers suggest they are, at worst, the second-best team in the conference behind Toledo.
While other MAC contenders like Western Michigan or Buffalo may have different facets of their game that stand out more, Ohio’s balance is what sets it apart in this conference.
Ohio’s offense ranks 49th in FBS in yards per play (5.7), 23rd in points per play (0.469) and 32nd in red-zone scoring percentage (90.5 percent). The defense ranks 55th in yards per play allowed (5.3), 41st in points per play (0.339) and 13th in red-zone scoring rate (74.1 percent).
The Bobcats are comfortable putting the ball on the ground, averaging 4.8 yards per rush (30th), but they can also snap it around with quarterback Nick Poulos.
Miami’s numbers are not horrible, but they’re worse in just about every facet compared to Ohio, but the biggest red flag is that the defense has wilted in the key moments.
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The Redhawks rank 95th in FBS in third-down defense and they’re 119th in red-zone scoring percentage.
In a contest that is projected as a coin toss, I’ll side with the team that excels in the game-deciding moments against one that has struggled to come up with the goods.
The Play: Ohio moneyline (-118, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
