Miami (OH) RedHawks at Bowling Green Falcons
Wednesday, 11/10/10, 8:00 PM EDT, TV: ESPN2
Opening Point Spread: Miami (OH) -3.5
Current Betting Line: Miami (OH) -3
Opening Total: 50
Current Total: 51
Current Moneyline: Miami (OH) -145 / Bowling Green +125
Miami (OH) certainly didn’t expect to be in this position heading into a Wednesday night contest at Bowling Green in being just a single win away from bowl-eligibility. The RedHawks are in the middle of a three-game road swing that started with a 21-9 victory over Buffalo on October 30. Head coach Michael Haywood has led the turnaround and has posted a 6-15 overall record in his first 21 games with the program after serving as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive coordinator for four seasons. If the team picks up a victory tonight, it would improve their MAC record to 5-1, the best start since 2007. The RedHawks have managed to score 175 points through the first nine games of the season, 51 more than it had accumulated through a similar span in 2009. The squad is 8-9 ATS on the road the past three years and the college football lines page lists them as a small road favorite.
The RedHawks have enjoyed a great deal of success against the Falcons, posting a 19-9-4 all-time mark, including wins in nine of the last 11 meetings. Quarterback Zac Dysert is unquestionably the leader of this team and has averaged 262 passing yards per game in his 17 starts. Of the top eight all-time passing performances in school history, Dysert has two of those efforts. His solid play and the offensive line has led the team to hold a 31:45-to-28:15 time of possession edge over opponents this season. Miami is currently tied with Maryland for the most improved team in the nation in terms of record.
Bowling Green doesn’t have much to play for due to a dismal 2-7 overall record and 1-4 mark in MAC play, but the school will officially be celebrating the centennial of the university on national television. “It’s a great opportunity for our football program, our athletic department to showcase our university and our community,” said head coach Dave Clawson. “We’ve had great support all year this year.” The Falcons have a good chance of posting a victory with the calendar moving to September, with the program posting 10 wins in its last 11 chances during the month. Turnovers are also going to play an important part in this midweek football game, with the squad ranking second in the conference and fourth nationally with 25 takeaways. Bowling Green is 7-1 ATS in November the past three years.
The Falcons are led by quarterback Matt Schilz, who has completed 163-of-270 passes for 1,546 yards and five touchdowns. He recorded his first career fourth quarter comeback last week in a 17-14 road win over Central Michigan. Don’t look for the offense to have much success on the ground in this affair, ranking last in the Mid-American Conference at 62.3 yards per game. The defense has been terrible at times during the 2010 campaign, but is coming off its best performance of the season, holding the Chippewas to 231 total yards.
Bettors will find that the RedHawks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite, while the Falcons are 7-19 ATS at home.
The college football handicappers at Maddux Sports are gearing up for another fantastic weekend on the gridiron and there’s no better time to join in on the fun!
