2021 NCAAF Betting – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is known to be one of the most competitive football conferences every single year, and this is a league that is highly entertaining to follow. These games tend to be extremely high-scoring affairs, and there always seems to be some strange occurrences that happen as well.
The Ball State Cardinals came out of nowhere to win the MAC a season ago, pulling off a stunning upset over Buffalo in the title game. The 2020 season was a tough year for all of college football, but this league saw a number of games get canceled.
Things should be back to normal in the MAC this season, and the race to the conference title should be terrific again. Here is a look at the win totals for the top four teams and some others around the MAC.
Toledo Rockets: Over/Under 8.5 Wins
The Toledo Rockets averaged over 35 points per game a season ago, and they did a lot of that damage on the ground. Most experts believe that Toledo is the most talented team in the conference, and that will give them a chance to compete for the title.
Toledo returns nearly every single offensive starter from a season ago, but they will have a new quarterback under center. The Rockets still have some work to do on the defensive side of the ball, but they want to turn each game into a track meet.
The Rockets do have a non-conference game against Notre Dame, but the other three matchups are winnable. Toledo also has a pretty favorable schedule when it comes to conference play, and that will help boost the win total.
Toledo will have to get some solid quarterback play, but getting to 9 total wins is very possible for this team.
Ball State Cardinals: Over/Under 8 Wins
Ball State went 9-1 a season ago, but their win total is set at just 8 total wins in 2021. A road trip to Happy Valley to face Penn State will be a tough non-conference test, but the Cardinals could win the remaining three games before league play.
Quarterback Drew Plitt had a terrific 2020 season, and it was one that saw him limit his turnovers when leading this offense. That will be another key for Ball State, as will getting another solid season from the defense.
Ball State has at least 17 returning starters in 2021, but the team did lose some talent on the defensive side of the ball. The Cardinals gave up some big plays in 2020, but Ball State also led the conference in takeaways.
The game against Toledo will be the biggest game on the schedule, but the Cardinals can still get to at least 9 wins even with a loss in that game.
Buffalo Bulls: Over/Under 7.5 Wins
Buffalo was the best MAC team in the regular season in 2020, but the Bulls failed to cap it off with a championship. The Bulls now come into 2021 with a new coaching staff in place after Lance Leipold took a job at the University of Kansas.
The Bulls were an explosive offense last season, and there were few teams in the MAC that could even slow down Buffalo. Star running back Jaret Patterson has moved on, but Kevin Marks Jr. had over 700 rushing yards a season ago.
Buffalo was also one of the best defenses in the MAC last season, but that defense fell apart in the MAC Championship Game. That side of the ball will also have new coaches in place, and that could force this team to take a step back.
Getting to eight wins seems like it should be easy for a team as talented as Buffalo, but they just have too many unknowns. Look for the Bulls to take a step back in 2021, and they will finish with 7 wins or less. Why not take a look at the BParlay sports betting units resources, a great place to learn about betting units in sport.
Ohio Bobcats: Over/Under 6.5 Wins
The Ohio Bobcats enter the 2021 season as the betting favorites to win the East Division, but that is largely considered the weakest division in the conference. Ohio has been a solid program for many years, but there will be a new head coach in charge this season.
Ohio faces off against Syracuse in Week 1, but the Bobcats could pick up an impressive non-conference win in that game. A road trip to Evanston to face Northwestern will be the most difficult test of the season.
The East Division is wide open, and Ohio is a bit inexperienced after playing just three total games a season ago. Ohio has a terrific quarterback duo set to take the field, but the real strength of this team will be running the football.
It is going to take at least 7 wins if Ohio wants to win the East Division, and the Bobcats are talented enough to get to that number. For the latest check out the Official Mid American Conference scorecard.
Rest of the Conference – 2021 NCAAF Betting
Even though there are some terrific teams in the MAC, there are also some bad teams as well. This league tends to produce some stunning upsets, but teams like Northern Illinois, Akron, and Bowling Green are going to struggle.
All three of those teams currently have win totals that are under 4, and that feels about right for each squad. Those teams will have to do some damage in the non-conference as it’s hard to see them winning conference games outside of matchups against each other.
The two schools from Michigan, Central, and Eastern, both have win totals set at 6.5, and that feels like a great number. Both schools have enough talent to compete for a division title, but it will be the rivalry game that likely pushes one team over while the other finishes at six wins.
Miami (Ohio) is another team to keep an eye on this season, and its win total is set at 6.5 wins also. Miami is a real threat to challenge for the East Division title, but the Red Hawks have to find a way to beat Ohio and Buffalo.
MACtion Will Be Crazy Yet Again
Most conferences in college football have at least one team that stands out from the pack, but that isn’t the case in the MAC. The future betting odds for this league show that there are five teams in contention for the MAC title, but other teams could also make a run.
Toledo is currently the betting favorite at +210, while Ball State isn’t too far behind at +440. Those two teams will be battling it out in the West, and one of those teams should win that division.
The Ohio Bobcats (+500) and the Buffalo Bulls (+550) are the next two teams on the list, and both of those schools compete in the East. Western Michigan has odds set at +750 to win the MAC, and that should keep them in the hunt as well.
These odds are going to be changing throughout the year, and you could easily see a team with longer odds find a way to pull off a stunning league title. Teams from the MAC don’t have a realistic shot at winning the National Championship, but the action will be some of the best in all of college football.
