One team will be eliminated from the race in the MAC's East Division when the Ohio Bobcats and Bowling Green Falcons hook up Wednesday night in Athens (8 pm ET, ESPN2).
With both teams at 4-1 and a game back of Kent State in the East, the 'Cats were early 3.5-point favorites over BGU.
View Bowling Green vs Ohio Odds and Stats.
Betting Line: The Falcons were listed as 5.5-point underdogs on the Sportsbook NCAA football line at Sportsbook and most sportsbooks tracked by OddsShark but had been bet down to -3 by late Tuesday. The total was 48.5 at Sportsbook recently.
Power Rankings / Prediction: According to the Power Rankings here at OddsShark it's the No. 51-rated Bobcats and the No. 21-rated Falcons in this matchup. Predictive formulas point to a 37-32 win for the Bobcats on Wednesday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Ohio's No. 30-ranked offense (35.6 PPG) against a Falcons defense that ranks No. 9 at 15.2 PPG. The Bobcats passing attack has averaged 241.4 yards per game, more than the Falcons give up through the air (185.8 YPG on average).
In comparing defenses, the Falcons own the league's No. 49-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 153.8 yards per game when on the road. Ohio, on the other hand, rates No. 20 this week in generating rushing yards at home.
In their last action, Bowling Green was a 24-3 Sportsbook at home against Eastern Michigan. They covered the 14-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (27) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. John Pettigrew ran through the Eastern Michigan defense for 136 yards in Bowling Green's last game, handing the Eagles a 24-3 setback on Saturday at Doyt Perry Stadium.
Ohio was a 45-14 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Eastern Michigan. They covered the 16-point spread as favorites, while the total score (59) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. In their last game, Ohio got a 128-yard performance from Ryan Boykin as a key part of its 45-14 win over Eastern Michigan.
Bowling Green Falcons Trends:
When playing in November are 5-5
When playing on turf are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 5-5
When playing within the conference are 6-4
Ohio Bobcats Trends:
When playing in November are 9-1
When playing on turf are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing within the conference are 8-2
A few Falcons at Bobcats trends to consider:
Bowling Green is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Bowling Green's last 5 games on the road
Bowling Green is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ohio
Bowling Green is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Ohio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Ohio is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Ohio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Bowling Green
Ohio is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Bowling Green
Next up:
Bowling Green home to Kent State, Saturday, November 17
Ohio at Ball State, Wednesday, November 14
