Ohio vs. Eastern Michigan Predictions 11/9/21

When: Tuesday, November 9, 8 p.m.

Where: Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, Mich.

TV: ESPN2

Point Spread: OHIO +7/EMU -7 (MyBookie – Use bonus code PREDICT100 when you sign up and they’ll match you dollar for dollar with a 100% REAL CASH bonus! – This is not a cheap freeplay/match play!)

Total: O/U 60.5

Outlook

It turns out Ohio might actually play better when it has nothing to play for, as the Bobcats came up with a great performance against Miami-Ohio to finally close out a game and earn a victory. The Bobcats still can’t make a bowl game or contend for the East Division title at this point, but they did upset the apple cart a fair amount in catching the

RedHawks off guard.

They might be poised to do it again because they’ve made the Factory into their home away from home on the rare occasions when they do have to travel to Eastern Michigan. Ohio has won five of its past six trips to Ypsilanti and hasn’t lost to the Eagles there since 1999. With Eastern struggling to stop the run — Ohio’s calling card — the Eagles could have a hard time keeping the Bobcats from moving the ball. But defense isn’t how Eastern wins games anyway: the Eagles gave up 672 yards and 49 points to Toledo last week yet still emerged victorious in the race for the MAC’s Western Division title. The Eagles would need a lot to go their way to reach Detroit, but it’s still possible for them to represent the West. However, if Eastern’s going to play for the MAC title, losing to Ohio isn’t an option.

How the Public is Betting the Ohio/Eastern Michigan Game

The money is coming in on Ohio, as the line has already dropped a full point from -8 to -7 in the short time the game has been on the board. The total has not changed.

Injury Concerns

Ohio:
Offensive lineman Kurt Danneker (undisclosed) and long snapper Justin Holloway (undisclosed) are questionable. Offensive lineman Nick Sink (knee) and linebacker Keye Thompson (knee) are out.

Eastern Michigan:
Tight end Bryson Cannon (undisclosed) is questionable.

When Ohio Has the Ball

Ohio got thrown for a loop at the start of the season when Frank Solich retired, but the Bobcats are starting to figure out which pieces go where. The biggest thing for the Bobcats has been giving the ball to DeMontre Tuggle and letting him hammer holes in the opposing defense. That was a big part of how Ohio handled Akron, and the Bobcat runner averages just over 6.1 yards per carry.

However, Kurtis Rourke is starting to come into his own as a quarterback, tossing for three touchdowns against Miami, and has begun to trust his receivers. Isiah Cox had a pair of scores for the Bobcats in the win over the RedHawks, but Rourke hasn’t really favored any of his receivers this season. All four of Ohio’s top receivers have between 20 and 30 catches on the season, which both means that any one receiver can step up at any point and that there’s no one player that opposing defenses have to be worried about. Depending on how the ground game performs, that could be either a good or bad thing.

When Eastern Michigan Has the Ball

The connection of Ben Bryant to Hassan Beydoun made the difference in Eastern Michigan besting Toledo, as Beydoun hauled in 12 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns to destroy what had been a decent Toledo pass defense. The Rockets hadn’t given up more than 22 points in regulation to anyone except Notre Dame, but the Eagles shredded Toledo for 52 points and almost 500 yards of offense.

Ohio’s defense presents an interesting challenge for the Eagles, as the Bobcats are better against the pass than they are the run, but they’re still not strong enough against the pass to force Eastern Michigan to go to the ground unless the Eagles are having an off night. Unlike run-heavy Ohio, Eastern much prefers to put the game in Bryant’s hands and let him try and put up points in a hurry. Eastern can play a defensive struggle and win, which it did by a 13-12 count against Miami-Ohio, but the Eagles would much rather play for points, as they’ve done in each their past three contests. The Eagles have averaged 46 points per game over the past three weeks, and they’ve scored at least 30 in six of nine games this season.

NOTE: SOME OF OUR WEEK 10 NFL PREDICTIONS ARE COMING OUT OF THE OVEN TODAY!

Betting Trends

As stated before, this has been a home away from home for the Bobcats, as they’ve covered in five of their past six meetings overall against Eastern and have won outright in five of six at Rynearson Stadium. The Bobcats have also been a fine play in MAC games, covering in five of their past six against the league.

But few teams have embraced MACtion like the Eagles, who have covered in five of six Tuesday night games and have covered in five of their past seven in the league. The over has also been the way to go during Tuesday night MACtion for Eastern, as the total has cashed in four consecutive Eastern games on Tuesdays.

Weather Report

It’s going to be cloudy and cool at the Factory on Tuesday night, and a shower could make for slick conditions with temperatures plunging into the low 40s during the contest. Wind will blow at five miles per hour to the northwest.

Dan’s Pick to Cover the Spread

The bet I really love here is the over. I think Eastern is going to light up the board on its side of the field, but I don’t think the Eagles have the ground defense needed to keep Ohio from moving the ball. The only way I can see the over failing to cash here is if the Eagles start too quickly, get off to a big lead and force Ohio to throw its way back into the contest.

I don’t think that happens, as I don’t think Eastern’s run defense is good enough to keep Ohio at bay. I’ll take the Bobcats for the cover, as I think Ohio is playing with pride and now has a sense of who it is. Question: Are you a small bettor or a college kid that wants to bet on games but doesn’t have much loot? We’ve got a killer bonus for you! “Deposit $25 and get an extra $50 for FREE!” A 200% bonus! Simply register for an account at Intertops through this special link, deposit $25 (or more) and then go to their “Special Offers” page and enter bonus code ROOKIE200. An extra FIFTY BUCKS will show up in your betting account instantly!