It might just be the two best college football teams in the state meeting Wednesday night as Western Michigan visits Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant.
Well, probably not, but there will be no way to prove otherwise without any non-conference action this year.
While Michigan and Michigan State are struggling mightily in coronavirus-shortened seasons, two 2-0 rivals will meet in a Mid-American Conference showdown.
If past #MACtion is any indication, fans should buckle up for this one. Sports betting fans are certainly keeping tabs on the conference’s action.
#MACtion has captured the hearts, minds of America
Several years back, the MAC moved many of its games to mid-week to attract national TV audiences on ESPN.
It has worked with the conference supplying some memorable wacky moments of action.
Another came last week when Western Michigan used the fake spike by quarterback Kaleb Eleby to topple Toledo, 41-38.
No other midweek football to wager on
The MAC noticed a market in between Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football and pounced.
The sports betting world has taken notice.
The Barstool Sportsbook guys and other popular gambling personalities often plug the conference’s famous hashtag, #MACtion.
It’s become a thing, and the betting public has followed along.
BetRivers: Bettors are feeling the #MACtion
At BetRivers Sportsbook, MAC football has been among the most wagered on college football games since its season started two weeks ago.
Five of the six games played in the first week of MAC action would have been in the top 10 of Saturday games.
Many of these games had comparable handles to Big Ten and Pac-12 games, according to information provided to PlayMichigan.
Last week, five of the six MAC games were among the top 20 BetRivers college football handles.
Two games on ESPN, Buffalo against Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan against Toledo, were just outside of the top five BetRivers games last week.
For each of the nights MAC football has been played, it has been the top event of the night in terms of handle and bet count.
FanDuel Sportsbook: MAC football is hot
They are feeling the #MACtion heat over at FanDuel Sportsbook as well.
Iowa and Minnesota on Friday night led the college football weekend in handle, followed by Michigan and Wisconsin on Saturday. But the MAC wasn’t too far behind, spokesperson Kevin Hennessy reports.
Buffalo and Miami had the fifth-biggest handle of any game that week, outperforming Notre Dame and Boston College, which was played Saturday afternoon.
Eastern Michigan at Ball State was the seventh-highest handle of the week, with Toledo and Western Michigan coming in eighth.
Those are extraordinary rankings for otherwise unremarkable games, at least from a national perspective.
Chippewas, Broncos are bitter rivals
On the field Wednesday, the host CMU Chippewas will look to beat rival WMU for just the second time in seven years.
Coach Jim McElwain and his Chippewas also will play the other in-state MAC team, Eastern Michigan, in Ypsilanti on Nov. 27. The Eagles are 0-2.
As for Western, coach Tim Lester is trying to take the Broncos to a bowl game for the sixth time in seven years.
The same goes for McElwain’s Chippewas, who trail the all-time series 50-38-2.
(Odds as of 9:45 a.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 18.)
| Western Michigan at Central Michigan, Nov. 18 odds | BetMGM | DraftKings | FanDuel | PointsBet | William Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point spread (-110 juice unless noted) | WMU -1.5 -106 CMU +1.5 -115 | WMU -0.5 -109 CMU +0.5 -112 | WMU -0.5 -115 CMU +0.5 -105 | WMU -1.5 CMU +1.5 | WMU -1.5 CMU +1.5 |
| Moneyline | WMU -115 CMU -106 | WMU -109 CMU -112 | WMU -114 CMU -105 | WMU -121 CMU +100 | WMU -120 CMU +100 |
| Total points (-110 juice unless noted) | O 58.5 -115 U 58.5 -106 | O 59.5 U 59.5 | O 58.5 -114 U 58.5 -106 | O 58.5 U 58.5 | O 58.5 U 58.5 |
