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Tuesday MACtion College Football Odds Predictions & Picks for Bowling Green vs Toledo, Ohio vs Ball State

Jack Magruder

by Jack Magruder in College Football

Updated Nov 14, 2022 · 5:00 PM PST

Toledo Rockets quarterback Dequan Finn looks to pass
Sep 24, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Toledo Rockets quarterback Dequan Finn (7) looks to pass ahead of offensive lineman Nick Rosi (73) during the first half against the San Diego State Aztecs at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
  • Week 3 of MACtion features games Tuesday involving division leaders Toledo and Ohio
  • West winner Toledo hosts East contender Bowling Green; East leader Ohio visits contender Ball State
  • Read below for Bowling Green vs Toledo and Ohio vs Ball State odds, analysis and prediction

The Mid-American Conference will begin the third and penultimate edition of its midweek MACtion college football series with two games Tuesday. Toledo (7-3, 5-1 West), which has clinched the division title and a berth in the MAC championship game, plays host to East contender Bowling Green (5-5, 4-2 East).

Ohio (7-3, 5-1 East) brings a five-game win-and-cover streak into a crucial division game against Ball State (5-5, 3-3 East). Ohio can clinch the other MAC title game berth with a victory and a Bowling Green loss. A Bobcats’ loss would create at least a two-way tie in the division with one game left in the regular season.

Here are predictions and picks for the second Tuesday of MACtion games. Betting trends and money percentages can be found on our College Football Betting trends page.

Bowling Green vs Toledo Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Bowling Green Falcons +15.5 (-110) +510 Over 50.5 (-112)
Toledo Rockets -15.5 (-110) -770 Under 50.5 (-109)

Odds from Barstool Sportsbook on Nov. 14.

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Rockets Have Dominated Falcons

The Toledo-Bowling Green series may not resonate much outside of northwest Ohio, but the Battle of 1-75 is ranked as one of the top rivalries in college football, according to research by the Know Rivalry project. This will be the 87th meeting between the schools, which are 25 miles apart. The intensity has not stopped Toledo from dominating — the Rockets are 11-1 SU and 7-4-1 ATS since 2010. Since losing 20-7 as a 26.5-point road favorite 2019, Toledo has won and covered the last two by 30-plus points. It is 6-0 SU and 3-2-1 ATS in the last six at home.

Toledo has won five of its last six behind an offense led by quarterback DeQuan Finn, who has completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,938 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 538 yards and eight scores. He has been a bit inconsistent. Finn threw for six scores in a 52-31 victory over Kent State but has five picks in his last two games. He missed the 27-24 victory over Eastern Michigan on Oct. 29 with an apparent shoulder injury but returned to throw for 301 yards against Ball State last week. He had five TDs against the Falcons a year ago.

Bowling Green, which exceeded its expected CFB wins totals odds during a three-game winning streak against MAC bottom-feeders, had that streak broken in a 40-6 loss to Kent State the last time out, but still has an outside shot at the division title. The Falcons are last in the MAC in scoring and have eight touchdowns (seven offensive) in the last five games. The Falcons’ defense is third in the league in scoring and total offense behind quarterback Matt McDonald, who has thrown for 2,027 yards with 17 touchdowns and four picks.

The trends are hard to buck here. Bowling Green has been hurt by dual-threat quarterbacks this season, and Finn is that.

  • Pick: Toledo -15.5 (-110)

Ohio vs Ball State Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Ohio Bobcats -3.5 (-115) -182 Over 54.5 (-118)
Ball State Cardinals +3.5 (-105) +150 Under 54.5 (-104)

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook on Nov. 14.

Rourke’s Bobcats Are Rolling 

Ohio junior quarterback Kurtis Rourke burnished his MAC Player of the Year resumè by throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-21 victory at Miami (O.) the last time out that put the Bobcats in the driver’s seat in the East. Rourke has thrown for 3,088 yards with 24 touchdowns and four interceptions and ranks seventh in Division I in passing yards and passing efficiency. He has a 500-yard, two 400-yard and three 300-yard games.

MAC leading rusher back sophomore Carson Steele keys the Cardinals’ attack. He has 1,280 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. If Rourke is not the league MVP, Steele could be. Steele has rushed for 100 yards in six straight games and had a career-high 198 yards and three touchdowns the last time out, a 28-21 loss at Toledo. Ohio is 3-0 SU and ATS in the three meetings since 2015 in a series that is not contested every year because the teams are in different divisions. The Bobcats won in 2018-19, the last two times the teams met.

Since blowout nonconference losses to Penn State and Iowa State and a MAC-opening loss to Kent State, the Bobcats have been the best team in the MAC by a pretty substantial margin. They have outscored their opponents by an average of 39-22 while going 5-0 SU and ATS. This will be their stiffest test since, and they were bet down after opening as a five-point choice, but riding the hot horse is seldom a bad plan.

  • Pick: Ohio -3.5 (-115)
  • Season MACtion: 5-0 ATS

 

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