The Wyoming Cowboys take on the Central Michigan Chippewas in Mount Pleasant, MI. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Central Michigan is favored by -1.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -120. The total is set at 39.5 points.
Here’s my Wyoming vs. Central Michigan prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Wyoming vs Central Michigan Prediction
- Wyoming vs. Central Michigan Pick: Under 39.5
My Central Michigan vs. Wyoming best bet is on the under. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page and be sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis.
Wyoming vs Central Michigan Odds
| Wyoming Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 39.5 -112o / -108u | +100 |
| Central Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 39.5 -112o / -108u | -120 |
- Wyoming vs Central Michigan point spread: Central Michigan -1.5 (-110), Wyoming +1.5 (-110)
- Wyoming vs Central Michigan over/under: 39.5 (-112o / -108u)
- Wyoming vs Central Michigan moneyline: Wyoming +100, Central Michigan -120
Wyoming vs Central Michigan College Football Preview
Wyoming Cowboys
It turns out that Craig Bohl guy could really coach. Post-Bohl, Wyoming is a combined 8-18 with precisely one win over FBS teams that finished over .500.
Bohl preached a physical, plodding, pro-style offense but still managed to score, and the defense was usually good enough to win low-scoring games. The offense under Jay Sawvell has scored 21 points just seven times over the last two-plus seasons combined, and it hasn't exceeded that number in 2026.
Sawvell was hand-picked to succeed Bohl, but his days have to be numbered. There's no sign of progress, no sign of optimism in the NIL er and no creativity to get this team out of the 3-9-to-4-8 rut it currently sits in.
This team is also terrible on the road. Over the last 10 seasons, Wyoming is 19-37 outside of Laramie despite ample winning seasons. Last year, it suffered a 13-7 loss as a -6 favorite at Nevada.
This team is rarely favored on the road and, when it is, it's prone to upsets (see: 2021, when it lost as both a -20 and -10 favorite!).
Tyler Hughes has been shackled and, in his own, hasn't been any good. Hughes tossed three interceptions with no touchdowns against rival Colorado State and averages 6.2 yards per attempt.
One of Hughes' best attributes is his legs, and new OC Christian Taylor just hasn't used them enough to be effective, a shame considering Taylor was Hughes' OC at William & Mary.
Samuel Harris doesn't look to be any more of an impact player than he was last year — that's to say he's not much better than replacement level.
Wyoming might really be terrible this year. It hits the road in three of its next four weeks, including at North Dakota State, and must travel from Mount Pleasant to Laramie (to play Hawaii with a rest advantage) to Fargo (to play North Dakota State with a rest advantage) and then to San Jose.
Four weeks, four different time zones. Wyoming is an auto-fade in some regard in each of the next five as it travels home for Week 7.
Central Michigan Chippewas
In 2025, Central Michigan was forecasted to be a frisky team in the MAC with possible upside. Matt Drinkall got this team in working order, finishing 5-3 in the MAC with an upset win over Bowling Green and another near-upset win over 11-win rival Western Michigan.
The run game was physical, and the defense was stout.
Through two games of 2026, the run game is ineffective, and the defense isn't good enough. QB Angel Flores has been atrocious, rushing for just 34 yards against New Mexico and completing 10-of-20 passes on the season.
The passing QB, Jadyn Glasser, completed just 4-of-9 passes against New Mexico before hardly playing at all against Colgate.
With no pop in the backfield, this offense is completely useless.
It's not the pace that's an issue for OC Jim Chapin (Central Michigan's pace is average); it's the lack of offensive snaps getting off per game.
Central Michigan ran only 51 plays against New Mexico after going 2-for-11 on third down, and 62 against Colgate in the 13-10 slugfest. There's simply nothing threatening on this side of the ball.
Against more skilled offenses, it's clear that this defense isn't high-quality. Colgate moved the ball in the red zone (despite not playing in it very much), logging a 75% success rate in that game (UNM, 73%).
On offense, the red zone is a struggle — Central Michigan didn't run one single play deemed successful (EPA >0) against the Lobos.
The defensive front is mostly new and was pushed around by New Mexico's strong offensive line, but it didn't do much against Colgate either.
This is a bad football team with an atrocious offense.
Wyoming vs Central Michigan Pick, Betting Analysis
Any time you get a point total under 40, it's worth noting. Better yet, this isn't a CyHawk or Army-Navy total. We have some fresh blood in the historic point totals market.
This game has two major factors beyond the teams going against it. For one, Saturday's forecast calls for rain (possibly heavy at times), and two, the game kicks off at 1 p.m. in a stadium that struggles to meet its capacity.
Wyoming also has to make a tough trip from Laramie, back two time zones, and fly into Lansing and bus up to Mount Pleasant. Compounding forces make this a prime spot to bet an under, teams aside.
But then you factor in the absolute travesty that is the combination of these offenses. This won't be a defensive slugfest like articles might suggest — this is going to be a complete offensive slop fest.
Despite the three-point drop, I'm still betting under this total. This is a game that projects both teams to score in the teens or, in the case of a lopsided game, one to fail to score double digits at all.
Under any number north of 30.
Pick: Under 39.5
