Betting lines, game preview, and prediction for Eastern Michigan vs Ohio

When it comes to conference races, this is about as deep as it gets, but there is an interesting story going on here.

The only team Ohio has lost to is Miami University, and they do not play Bowling Green. These are the two teams Ohio is competing with now to win the MAC title. It is doing well with four wins in a row, but its next game is at Toledo.

Eastern Michigan has been stuck on five wins for weeks now. It needs one more win to be eligible for a bowl game.

It did the wrong thing and lost to Akron. Then it fought Toledo hard and won 29–28. To get that sixth win, it has to beat Buffalo and Western Michigan if it does not do well here.

Eastern Michigan vs Ohio: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
How to Watch: ESPN2
Venue: Peden Stadium, Athens, OH
Teams: Eastern Michigan (4-5), Ohio (6-3)

Why Ohio Will Win

The Eastern Michigan defense hasn’t totally gone bye-bye, but it’s not able to hold up well lately. Kent State – Kent State?! – was able to bomb away on the EMU secondary, and Toledo threw well enough to get by.

Akron – Akron?! – and Central Michigan were able to run wild on the Eagle defensive front.

Run well on this bunch and big things happen. Eastern Michigan is 1-4 when allowing over 152 rushing yards. Ohio averages well over 200 yards per game on the ground going 6-1 when running more than 115.

Why Eastern Michigan Will Win

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.

The defense for Eastern Michigan is having a tough time, but the offense is throwing the ball well and should be able to keep up with any speed. This is different.

The Eagles lost three of their last four games and turned the ball over six times. It only turned the ball over once in the first five games, during which it went 5-1.

Eastern Michigan vs Ohio: Who Will Win?

Can the Eastern Michigan run defense hold up just enough to keep the Bobcat attack from taking over the game?

The Double Digit Home Dog thing I preach at this time of year strangely enough doesn’t really apply to weeknight games, but besides turnover margin, it has a shot to pull this off for one other key reason: time of possession.

EMU isn’t very good, but it’s a tad methodical – in a good way. The pass rush is solid, the offense should be able to keep up, and this should turn into a fun game. The Eagles play up or down to their competition. They’ll do that here, too.