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The Western Michigan Broncos take on the Akron Zips in Akron, Ohio, on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Western Michigan is favored by -14 points on the spread with a moneyline of -600. Akron, meanwhile, enters as a +14 underdog and is +440 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 48.5 total points.
Here’s my Western Michigan vs. Akron prediction and college football pick for Tuesday, November 10.
Western Michigan vs Akron Prediction
- Western Michigan vs. Akron Pick: Western Michigan -13.5 or Better
My Akron vs. Western Michigan best bet is on the Broncos to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Western Michigan vs Akron Odds
| Western Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14 -110 | 48.5 -102o / -118u | -600 |
| Akron Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14 -110 | 48.5 -102o / -118u | +440 |
- Western Michigan vs Akron point spread: Western Michigan -14 (-110), Akron +14 (-110)
- Western Michigan vs Akron over/under: 48.5 (-102o / -118u)
- Western Michigan vs Akron moneyline: Western Michigan -600, Akron +440
Western Michigan vs Akron College Football Preview
Western Michigan Broncos Betting Preview: A Clear Advantage
Western Michigan is fresh off the bye week and fully in contention in the MAC title race with three weeks left in the season.
The Broncos will likely need to win out and get some help to reach to Detroit, but everything comes down to the last three weeks of the season.
Head coach Lance Taylor talked this week about how beneficial the extended time off was for his squad, which didn't get a traditional bye week this year but did have extended time off before this contest against Akron.
The power run game should have success against Akron. Expect plenty of Jalen Buckley, who leads the Broncos in rushing with 711 yards and eight touchdowns.
Quarterback Broc Lowry runs the ball well, and WMU uses him to gain advantages with an extra blocker. That should work well against a Zips defense that ranks 107th nationally in Rushing Success Rate allowed.
The WMU passing game has been efficient, with Lowry completing 63% of his passes for 11 touchdowns. I wouldn't be surprised if the Broncos found some explosiveness in the pass game with Akron making a concerted effort to stop the run.
Aveion Chenault has 33 catches for 540 yards and serves as the primary explosive receiving option for WMU.
The Broncos defense has been among the best in the MAC. Only Toledo has scored more than 17 points against WMU in league play this season.
Every MAC opponent except the Rockets has been held under five yards per play, and the red-zone defense has been buttoned up in conference play.
The Pass rush has been critical for WMU defensively, as WMU has registered three or more sacks in every league game.
Austin Alexander and Scoop Gardner Jr. lead the way on the defensive line with a combined nine sacks. This unit will create problems against Akron’s offensive line.
Akron Zips Betting Preview: Still Fighting
Give Akron some credit. The Zips have very little to play for this season, but they continue to fight hard.
Last week, the team competed very well against Ohio, and the offense was rejuvenated after the return of quarterback Cibastian Broughton, who missed the last five games due to injury.
Broughton completed 22-of-34 passes for 232 yards, and he handled the Bobcats' pressure well while consistently wiggling out of trouble.
Broughton is a much better passing quarterback than the other signal-callers and gives the Zips a lot of creativity on offense. However, the spirit of this team is establishing the run with running back Jordan Gant.
The senior has run for 730 yards and seven touchdowns this season and is the primary option when Akron keeps the ball on the ground. Sean Patrick gets about 20% of the carries and has averaged five yards per rush.
Still, the offense hasn't been overly explosive, and the offensive line has allowed too much Havoc all season.
The Zips defense played really inspired football last week against Ohio for what seems like the first time all season. Akron has struggled to stop the run, and the pass rush has been nonexistent, as the Zips have recorded just five sacks.
The coverage unit hasn't been strong either. Akron ranks 137th nationally in pass explosives allowed, and the team has just three interceptions.
Western Michigan vs Akron Pick, Betting Analysis
This line opened with WMU listed as a 13.5-point favorite and has bounced between 13.5 and 14.5 over the last 48 hours. The total has been bet up slightly and sits at 48. I like WMU laying less than 14 in this matchup.
Akron has struggled with power run schemes this season. This defensive front got gashed by Minnesota early in the season, but giving up over 320 rushing yards to both Central Michigan and Miami (OH) was really concerning.
The Chips and RedHawks averaged 8.3 yards per rushing attempt combined, so I expect WMU to run the ball consistently here.
Akron grades out as the third-worst tackling team in the MAC, which is a driver for the explosive plays it has given up this season.
Ohio broke through with the backbreaking explosive plays in the second half last week after an apathetic first half, and I expect the rush explosives to be a problem for Akron defensively.
The Zips put together several solid possessions offensively, but some of those drives required some fluky happenstance.
Ohio surrendered a 31-yard run on third-and-28 that extended a drive and led to a field goal. An offensive fumble set Akron up for another field goal, and its touchdown drives were aided by a bogus roughing the passer penalty when there really wasn’t much there.
WMU's defensive effort won't be nearly as carefree in this matchup, and the pass rush will be much more effective. That will put pressure on Broughton, something we didn't see much of last week.
Pick: Western Michigan -13.5 or Better
Western Michigan vs Akron Betting Trends
