MACtion Meets March Madness In MAC Basketball Tournaments

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While MACtion gained fame during the fall season, there is no justification as to why it cannot deliver the same level of excitement in March.

This week marks the commencement of the Mid-American Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Two teams hailing from Michigan eagerly seek to contribute to the excitement by securing their spots in the NCAA Tournament.

On Wednesday afternoon, the women’s basketball team of Western Michigan, seeded No. 7, will face off against No. 2 Buffalo. As for the men’s team of Central Michigan, they hold the No. 8 seed and will compete against No. 1 Toledo at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

How to watch the MAC Tournament

The MAC tournaments for both men and women will be held at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. While the women’s quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday, the men’s quarterfinals are scheduled for Thursday. However, they will both share the same court for the semifinals on Friday, and the finals will be held on Saturday.

MAC teams have a reputation for making their mark in March Madness, as the winners are rewarded with an automatic bid to their respective NCAA Tournament.

MAC Women’s Basketball Schedule

• On Wednesday, the quarterfinals will be held on ESPN+. The first match at 11 a.m. will feature No. 1 Toledo against No. 8 Ohio. The second match, between No. 4 Northern Illinois and No. 5 Ball State, will take place 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1. Following that, No. 2 Buffalo will face No. 7 Western Michigan, with Game 3 starting 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2. Lastly, No. 3 Akron will play against No. 6 Bowling Green, with Game 4 starting 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 3.
• The Semifinals will take place on Friday at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and can be watched on ESPN+.
• The final match will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, broadcasting on CBS Sports Network.

MAC Men’s Basketball Schedule

• The quarterfinals on Thursday will feature the following matchups on ESPN+:<br>- At 11 a.m., No. 1 Toledo will face off against No. 8 Central Michigan.<br>- 30 minutes after Game 1, No. 4 Akron will go up against No. 5 Buffalo.<br>- Following Game 2, No. 2 Kent State will compete against No. 7 Miami (OH).<br>- 30 minutes after Game 3, No. 3 Ohio will take on No. 6 Ball State.
• The first game of the semifinals will be held at 5 p.m. on Friday, followed by the second game after a 30-minute interval. Both games will be broadcasted on CBS Sports Network.
• The finals are scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

MAC Tournament odds

Toledo is the clear frontrunner in the men’s tournament, boasting almost equal chances according to several sportsbooks.

Finishing with a remarkable 25-6 overall record and an impressive 17-3 conference record, the Rockets triumphed in their last five games to clinch the coveted top seed in the tournament.

It has been 40 years since Toledo last secured victory in the MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Kent State and Ohio approach the tournament from contrasting paths. Kent State experienced a remarkable turnaround, winning their last 12 games of the regular season after being at .500 overall. This impressive streak led them to secure the No. 2 seed. Their sole defeat occurred on January 21 against Buffalo, and ever since, they have triumphed over every opponent in the conference, including a notable road victory against Toledo.

Ohio, the defending tournament champion, suffered a setback in their final three games of the season, causing them to drop out of a first-place tie with Toledo. Surprisingly, the Bobcats’ defeats against Bowling Green and Northern Illinois were inflicted by teams that failed to make it to the conference tournament.

Central Michigan, with a record of 7-22 (6-12 MAC), enters the tournament as a significant underdog, as they have unfortunately suffered losses in their last three matches and eight out of their previous nine.

No women’s futures odds

Even though certain sportsbooks now include women’s basketball games in their daily schedules, along with NCAA championship futures, there remains a noticeable absence of conference tournament futures.

Toledo, with a conference-record 19 wins this season, would undeniably have the upper hand if they were real. The Rockets boast an impressive overall record of 25-4, with a league standing of 19-1 and an outstanding 11 consecutive victories leading up to the postseason. The sole blemish on their conference record occurred on January 26, when they were defeated by Ohio at home.

They are positioned just below the Associated Press Top 25, sharing the sixth spot with other contenders receiving votes.

The MAC women’s tournament has been won by Toledo on eight occasions, with their most recent victory occurring in 2017.

With a record of 16-13 overall and 10-10 in MAC play, Western Michigan heads into the postseason. On February 7, the Broncos faced off against their first-round opponent, Buffalo, resulting in a 71-64 loss.

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