Central Michigan vs San Jose State Prediction, Pick & Odds (Friday, Aug. 29)

• The San Jose State Spartans are 14-point home favorites in Week 1 late-night action vs the Central Michigan Chippewas
• Central Michigan brings in a new coaching staff led by Matt Drinkall from Army
• Read below for Central Michigan vs San Jose State betting line, prediction and pick

Friday night’s college football slate wraps up with a MAC vs Mountain West matchup when the Central Michigan Chippewas visit the San Jose State Spartans.

The college football odds heavily favor the home team, with San Jose State laying two touchdowns despite both teams coming off mediocre 2024 campaigns.

Kickoff is set for 10:30pm ET from CEFCU Stadium in San Jose, California, with FS1 providing the broadcast coverage.

Central Michigan vs San Jose State Odds

The Chippewas are 14-point underdogs on the road, and +410 on the moneyline. San Jose State is a heavy -550 on the moneyline, while the total sits at 51.5 points.

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Odds as of August 29 at 6pm ET. Be sure to check out the best DraftKings promo code before placing a bet on any Week 1 College Football matchup.

Chippewas Face Massive Transition

Central Michigan enters Year 1 under Matt Drinkall, who arrives from Army, where he served as offensive coordinator. The Chippewas are coming off a 4-8 season where they lost six of their final seven games.

Quarterback Joe Labas returns after suffering a season-ending injury last year. In his six starts, he threw for 1,114 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. His five-interception performance against Florida International showed his potential for meltdowns.

The defense returns seven starters, including linebackers Dakota Cochran and Jordan Kwiatkowski. But they’re implementing a new system under coordinator Sean Cronin, who Drinkall brought along from Army.

Central Michigan returns 54% of its production from last season, ranking 69th nationally. That’s actually solid retention for a coaching change, but the question is whether new schemes can maximize that talent.

San Jose State Builds on Year One

Ken Niumatalolo exceeded expectations in his first season, leading San Jose State to a 7-6 record despite returning just 36% of their production from the previous year. Now, SJSU returns a more reassuring 54% of their overall production from 2024.

Quarterback Walker Eget returns after starting the final seven games last season. He threw for over 2,000 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while showing improvement down the stretch.

The Spartans must replace All-American wide receiver Nick Nash, who led the nation with 16 touchdown catches. But they’ve added four transfer receivers, including California’s Mason Starling and Purdue’s Leland Smith.

Three offensive line starters return from a unit that allowed pressure on just 22% of dropbacks last season. Running back Floyd Chalk IV is back after averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

Central Michigan vs San Jose State Prediction

San Jose State has too many advantages in this matchup. They’re in Year 2 of their system, while Central Michigan is installing completely new schemes on both sides of the ball.

The Spartans return 12 total starters compared to minimal returning production for the Chippewas. San Jose State also upgraded their secondary through the portal, adding Washington’s Caleb Presley and USC’s Maliki Crawford.

Central Michigan went an ugly 0-6 on the road last season. The Chippewas struggled mightily in non-conference play, with both losses to Illinois and Florida International coming by 20+ points.

Niumatalolo’s run-heavy approach should control this game. San Jose State went 5-2 at home last season, and with Central Michigan breaking in new systems, the Spartans should win comfortably.

• Pick: San Jose State -14 (-108 at DraftKings)