Miami OH vs Western Michigan Odds and Picks
- The Miami OH Redhawks (10-9, 7-7 MAC) take on the Western Michigan Broncos (4-13, 3-9 MAC) on Thursday, February 25th
- The Redhawks are coming off of a 42-point win over Central Michigan on Tuesday night
- See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet, below
The Miami OH Redhawks will look to follow up a record setting performance when they head to University Arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan to take on the Western Michigan Broncos on Thursday. (12pm ET).
Western Michigan has owned this series lately, taking six of the last seven matchups but it was Miami OH winning the last one 65-56 last month. The current odds have the Redhawks favored by 4.5-points on the road.
Miami OH vs Western Michigan Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (OH) Redhawks | -4.5 (-110) | -196 | Over 134 (-110) |
| Western Michigan Broncos | +4.5 (-110) | +164 | Under 134 (-110) |
Odds as of Feb. 24th at FanDuel
Miami OH couldn’t seem to miss in their latest action, slaughtering the Central Michigan Chippewas 96-54 Tuesday night. The Redhawks hit 18 of their 35 three-point attempts in the massacre.
Western Michigan has not been as fortunate. They haven’t won a game in almost three weeks, their latest loss coming to the Kent State Golden Flashes 76-69 on February 16.
The Redhawks Are on Fire
Miami OH is ranked 63rd in the country in three-point percentage, so splashing bombs is not a new development. But even the Redhawks themselves had to be surprised at just how effective they were from three-point land on Tuesday night. The poor Chippewas, who hadn’t played since February 6th due to COVID-19 concerns, never had a chance.
In tonight’s 96-54 win:
🏀 Program record 18 3’s
🏀 Grant’s 7 treys t-8th in a single game
🏀 58 1st-half points are most in a half this season
🏀 96 ties for most points in a game this season
🏀 42-point win ties for 19th largest all-time & 3rd largest against a MAC opponent pic.twitter.com/aSvwR3r2wR— Miami Men’s Basketball (@MiamiOH_BBall) February 24, 2021
From the opening tip, this one had the vibe of a tremendous beating. The deep bombs seemed to connect every time a Redhawk tossed one up. They scored a season-high 58 points in the first half en route to a 40-point halftime lead. The second half was more of the same as Miami OH was actually able to extend the lead, winning by 42 points. They hit a program record 18 threes, connecting on 51% of their attempts.
Western Michigan Could Use a Win
The Broncos month has not gone quite as planned, in large part because of COVID. They’ve only played four games in the month of February after having five games either postponed or outright cancelled. They haven’t won a game since February 6 although they did play tough against Kent State the last time they were in action.
𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐏 | Broncos Fall in a Tough One. #WeWillReign
🏀 B. Artis White matched his career-high with 20 points
🏀 Greg Lee with 19 points
🏀 WMU shot 44.8 percent from the field.— Western Michigan Men's Basketball (@WMUMBB) February 17, 2021
Things were looking up for the Broncos in the first half against the Golden Flashes as they led the game by four at the halftime break. Even in the second half when they fell behind, they were really never out of the game.
The Broncos actually outshot Kent State from the floor 45% to 40% but the 29-13 free throw discrepancy ended up being the difference. One bright spot for Western Michigan was B. Artis White who matched a career-high by pouring in 20 points in the game.
Best Betting Angle
Western Michigan wants to play slow, as they operate at the 306th fastest pace in the country. The strategy seemed to work in the first matchup between the two schools as they did end up covering a 9.5-point spread. The issue is, the Redhawks had an awful first half shooting-wise, which was uncharacteristic and this game’s line is only 4.5.
Keep it 💯
Back on the grind.😤#WeWillReign pic.twitter.com/xNtrXMORCR— Western Michigan Men's Basketball (@WMUMBB) February 23, 2021
The Broncos have the 219th most efficient defense in the land, so it’s unreasonable to expect a shutdown performance. Even if the Redhawks don’t run away with this one, they could win it at the free throw line.
They went to the stripe 23 times in the first meeting. Western Michigan is also coming off of a game where they sent the opposing team to the line 29 times. Miami OH is the 28th best free throw shooting team in the land so if they get to the stripe, they can convert attempts into points. The Redhawks have more than one path to covering this small number on the road.
The pick: Miami OH -4.5 (-110)
John has spent the past 20+ years betting sports on a daily basis and is considered by many to be a walking sports betting encyclopedia. From obscure player props to sides and totals, if there is an angle, John will find it.
