EMU at CMU Week 5 Best Bet

Eastern Michigan Eagles (2-2 SU, ATS 0-2) vs Central Michigan Chippewas (2-2 SU, ATS 0-3)
Date: Saturday, September 30th
Location: Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, MI
TV: ESPN+
Point Spread: Eastern Michigan +7.5/Central Michigan -7.5
Money Line: Eastern Michigan +226/Central Michigan -286
Over/Under: 48

The Eastern Michigan Eagles and Central Michigan Chippewas matchup in a Mid-American showdown at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, MI. The over/under for this matchup is currently 48 while Central Michigan is favored by -7.5.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

Eastern Michigan will look to carry over the momentum from last year’s 38-19 win over Central Michigan. Eastern Michigan’s rushing attack finished with 171 rushing yards and averaged 4.1 yards per attempt. Defensively, they gave up 229 yards of offense to Central Michigan.

Eastern Michigan Eagles Recent Form:

So far, the Eastern Michigan Eagles are 2-2, including going 0-1 on the road and 1-0 at home. Eastern Michigan has not covered the spread so far this season. As the underdog, they are 0-1 and 0-1 when favored. The team has an average scoring margin of -7 points per contest.

Against Jacksonville State, Austin Smith threw for 53 yards against Jacksonville State but did throw a touchdown pass. Overall his passer rating was 29.73 on a completion percentage of 54.5%.

Against Jacksonville State, Jaylon Jackson carried the ball 17 times, leading the team with 76 yards in rushing. However, he was unable to score a touchdown on the ground. Leading Eastern Michigan in receiving against Jacksonville State was Samson Evans. Although he didn’t catch a touchdown pass, he finished with 26 yards on three receptions.

Eastern Michigan’s defense gave up 388 yards of offense vs. Jacksonville State. In the passing game, they allowed 93 while on the ground they gave up 295 yards. Eastern Michigan’s defense is ranked 150th in passing yards allowed per game as they prepare for this matchup. Opponents have attempted an average of 27 passing attempts against the Eagles. They have given up 21.5 points per game so far, placing them 57th in college football. In the NCAA’s rush defense category, they are 157th.

Away Injury Report

Central Michigan Chippewas Recent Form:

After their most recent win against South Alabama, Central Michigan has themselves back to .500. The Chippewas are now gearing up for this week’s game with a record of 2-2.

Not only did Central Michigan win straight-up, they also covered the spread as 16.5-point underdogs. The team’s 64 combined points surpassed the over/under line of 47.5.

During their most recent win, quarterback Jase Bauer found the end zone with four rushing touchdowns and gained 55 rushing yards. In the passing game, he achieved a completion rate of 63.3% and passed for 224 yards, resulting in a passer rating of 97.08.

Besides his passing performance vs. South Alabama, quarterback Jase Bauer displayed his running abilities by carrying the ball 15 times and gaining 55 yards. Jesse Prewitt III had a stellar performance as the team’s top receiver, scoring one touchdown and making 10 receptions for 142 yards.

The Chippewas’ defense finished the game by giving up 405 total yards to South Alabama. The team’s run defense allowed 151 yards rushing compared to 254 in the passing game. So far this season, the Chippewas’ defense has given up 139.8 rushing yards per game against the run (111th). Opponents are averaging 342 passing yards and opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 117.8 against Central Michigan. In terms of points allowed, they are 12th in the NCAA.

Home Injury Report

No Injuries Reported

Betting Trends

• On the road, Eastern Michigan has gone 2-1 vs. the spread.
• Looking across Central Michigan’s five most recent home games, they are 3-2 against the spread.
• Central Michigan’s ATS record in their ten most recent games as the underdog is 8-2.
• Looking back on the last three times Eastern Michigan was favored, their ATS record was 0-2-1.

Line Movement:

On the moneyline, the Chippewas’ payout has shifted from -250 to where it currently stands at -286. The Eagles’ moneyline payout remains where it opened at +226. Central Michigan initially opened as 6.5 point favorites on their home turf. The lines have shifted in their favor, now standing at -7.5. The opening over/under line for this game, as per the oddsmakers, was 48.5. However, it has been adjusted down to its current line of 48, with the over paying out at -112 and the under at -110.

Free Pick

The word on the street is that EMU leading reciver Tanner Knue will miss his second straight match. Even if he does go, this is a sad offensive unit who has even reached 20 points against a FBS foe. The CMU defense is bad, but they’ve been shredded through the air and that’s not something that I think the Eagles can capitalize on. The Chippewas offense is decent and with what should be a succesful ground attack on Saturday agaisnt one of the worst run defenses in the nation. The linesmaker is begging you to take EMU. Take Central Michigan -7.5.