The Wildcats will do battle with the visiting Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday, looking to bolster their record and fatten the pocketbooks of bettors who back them.

The Broncos will try to spoil to the party on Saturday; they are 1-1 ATS against the number this season, while the Wildcats are 2-0 ATS. Western Michigan is 0-2 on the totals; Northwestern is 2-0.



View Western Michigan vs Northwestern Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Northwestern were sitting as 34-point favorites earlier in the week at Sportsbook. The total was to be set a bit later in the week for over under betting purposes.

Power Rankings / Prediction: According to the Power Rankings here at OddsShark it's the No. 85-rated Wildcats and the No. 46-rated Broncos in this matchup. Predictive formulas point to a 47-21 win for the Wildcats on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Northwestern's No. 22-ranked offense (46 PPG) against a Broncos defense that ranks No. 75 at 26.5 PPG. The Wildcats passing attack has averaged 337 yards per game, more than the Broncos give up through the air (170.5 YPG on average).

Defensively, the Broncos feature the league's No. 32-rated road run defense, allowing 181 yards per game. Northwestern, meanwhile, ranks No. 55 in rushing offense at home.

Western Michigan lost its last outing, a 27-23 result against Nicholls State on September 7. Western Michigan failed to cover in that game as a 29.5-point favorite, while the 50 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Dareyon Chance tore up the turf for 123 rushing yards in the latest Broncos game, a 27-23 loss to the Colonels at Waldo Stadium.

Northwestern was a 48-27 Sportsbook in its last match at home against Syracuse. They covered the 17-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 75 sent OVER bettors to the payout window. Tony Jones was good for 185 receiving yards in the Wildcats's most recent action, helping his team to a 48-27 victory over the Orange.


Western Michigan Broncos Trends:
When playing in September are 4-6
When playing on grass are 4-6
After outgaining opponent are 3-7
When playing outside the conference are 4-6

Northwestern Wildcats Trends:
When playing in September are 9-1
When playing on grass are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When playing outside the conference are 8-2

A few Broncos at Wildcats trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Western Michigan's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Western Michigan's last 7 games on the road
Western Michigan is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Western Michigan is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Northwestern is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Northwestern is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Northwestern's last 6 games


Next up:
Western Michigan at Iowa, Saturday, September 21
Northwestern home to Maine, Saturday, September 21