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The Central Michigan Chippewas take on the Miami Hurricanes in Miami Gardens, FL. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on The CW.
Miami is favored by -41.5 points on the spread, and the total is set at 53.5 points.
Here’s my Central Michigan vs Miami prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Central Michigan vs Miami Prediction
- Central Michigan vs Miami Pick: Miami -41.5
My Central Michigan vs Miami best bet is on the Hurricanes to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Central Michigan vs Miami Odds
| Central Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+41.5 -110 | 53.5 -115o / -110u | OFF |
| Miami Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-41.5 -110 | 53.5 -115o / -110u | OFF |
- Central Michigan vs Miami point spread: Miami -41.5 (-110), Central Michigan +41.5 (-110)
- Central Michigan vs Miami over/under: 53.5 (-115o / -110u)
Central Michigan vs Miami College Football Preview
Central Michigan Chippewas Betting Preview
While Central Michigan holding back-to-back opponents to 10 points looks like a sign of an improved defense, the opponents faced must be considered.
Colgate is a strong defensive team at the FCS level, but its offense isn't good. Meanwhile, Wyoming has one of the worst offensive platoons at the FBS level.
The Chips' defense is also aided by an offensive style of play that's painfully slow, methodical, and predicated on a run-heavy approach to shorten games.
The system works if Central Michigan is able to run the football and accrue first downs, but as we saw in the opener against New Mexico on the road, when it doesn’t work out, the defense gets left out on the field way too frequently, and big plays are given up.
The Chips are running the football on 76% of their offensive snaps, but the operation relies heavily on quarterback runs, as Angel Flores has more rushing attempts than any two other players combined.
Flores has a big frame, but he's not overly fast, and the explosive plays haven't been accumulating even against lesser foes.
The passing game is weak, with Central Michigan throwing for just 138 yards combined over its first three games. The longest registered pass completion has been just 18 yards.
Of Central Michigan’s 45 first downs this season, 38 have come from running the ball. I don't believe Central Michigan can sustain possession of the ball, accumulate first downs or register chunk plays needed to find the end zone.
The defensive metrics look decent for the Chips, but they've played three below-average offensive football teams and are now lining up against one of the most potent offenses in college football.
Central Michigan has seen nothing like this passing attack that Miami is going to deploy, and I would expect the pass rush to be ineffective against the Hurricanes’ offensive line.
Central Michigan has registered just three sacks and six tackles for loss this season. It ranks 119th nationally in defensive rush play success rate, so trouble awaits.
Miami Hurricanes Betting Preview
Miami has been one of the most explosive offenses in college football this season. The addition of quarterback Darian Mensah has given this passing attack a downfield prowess not seen in South Florida in years.
The receiver group boasts Malachi Toney as one of the best receivers in the country, along with complementary pieces, including Cooper Barkate, Somourian Wingo, and tight end Elija Lofton.
The offensive line has performed very well, even with the addition of young players into the starting lineup. The Hurricanes are the best team in the country in preventing havoc against them.
There should be little to no pressure against Mensah this week against a weak Central Michigan front, and the ground game should continue to register explosive rushes.
Miami’s defense looked like it was picking up right where it left off last season after holding its first two opponents to a combined 13 points.
Miami built a 24-7 halftime lead against Wake Forest last Friday while holding the Demon Deacons to just 88 total yards at the half.
However, there was a noticeable lack of urgency in the second half, as Wake Forest moved the ball at will through the air and made quite the compelling late push to get back into it.
Wake used precision passing to score a pair of late touchdowns and should've probably had another, but the Deacs couldn't run the ball effectively, a common occurrence for Hurricane opponents.
Miami is allowing just 45 rushing yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry on the ground, and this week, it's playing an opponent who runs the ball more frequently than any other team at the FBS level outside of the service academies.
Central Michigan vs Miami Pick, Betting Analysis
This line sits with Miami as a 41.5-point favorite in the contest, with a total that's ticked up from 52.5 to as high as 54 in some places. I'm laying the big number with Miami.
This is a terrible matchup schematically for Central Michigan, regardless of the level of motivation for either team. Central Michigan wants to play keep-away, run the ball, and control the clock.
That system only works when you can register successful plays on early downs, and Central Michigan comes into this game ranked 119th nationally in early-down success. There's a real chance that Central Michigan doesn't achieve 10 first downs in this game.
The Chippewas' offensive line should struggle against the Miami front, and the Chips are going to be forced to throw the football, which isn't the strong suit of the team.
Central Michigan is converting just 32% on third down this season, and I don't see a path to Central Michigan sustaining drives. Watch for “three-and-out” drives followed up by Miami having short fields the other way, which will lead to plenty of points for the Hurricanes.
Miami has an explosive and versatile passing attack, unlike anything Central Michigan has faced so far this season. New Mexico, Colgate, and Wyoming are bad barometers of success when lining up against the weaponry that Miami is equipped with.
I just don't foresee the pass rush being effective, which will cause the coverage unit to struggle and big plays to be secured in the pass game for Miami.
The run game should also find success early and often, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Miami score on every possession in the first half.
Last year, Central Michigan played Pittsburgh and Michigan, and the combined total yardage in those games was 1,080-to-356 in favor of the opponents. Miami has a better offense and defense than both of those teams, so Central Michigan simply can't compete.
The laissez-faire attitude by Miami in the second half of the Wake Forest game will help with the effort in the second half, as that's been addressed this week in practice.
Lay the number, as this game is going to get out of hand quickly.
Pick: Miami -41.5
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