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Ahead of Tuesday’s regular-season finale with Northern Illinois, Western Michigan’s only remaining goals are redemption and securing a spot in a bowl game.
After suffering a shocking 22-21 defeat to Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti last week, any remaining hope for clinching a Mid-American Conference West title faded away.
In addition, the Broncos’ defeat extended their losing streak to 0-4 against MAC West opponents this season, as they embarked on a road trip to face the Huskies.
Is there enough time for Western to regroup and secure a victory against NIU?
Western Michigan at Northern Illinois: MAC Football Odds
Oddsmakers see last-place Western Michigan as slight road favorite
The regular season for Western Michigan concludes with a surprising 3.5-point favorite status against MAC West champion Northern Illinois in this mid-week MACtion football betting clash.
On Sunday evening, both Caesars Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook agreed on the early consensus 3.5-point line. However, BetRivers Sportsbook stood apart by offering the underdogs 4.5 points.
In the initial odds, the three operators had Western positioned as favorites with moneyline odds ranging from -180 to -190. On the other hand, Northern Illinois was considered an underdog with moneyline odds of +145 to +155.
Most Michigan sportsbooks set the over/under at 62.5 points, while BetRivers and BetMGM Sportsbook differed slightly with a line of 63.5 points.
Western was the favored team by five points in their Week 11 matchup against Eastern Michigan. Unfortunately, the Broncos’ loss brought their season record against the spread to 4-5-1.
This season, Northern Illinois has exceeded the spread in seven games.
How to watch: Western Michigan Broncos at Northern Illinois Huskies
- Matchup: Western Michigan (6-4, 3-4 MAC) will be facing off against Northern Illinois (8-3, 6-1).
- Tuesday at 7 p.m., Eastern Time.
- The location is Huskie Stadium, situated in DeKalb, Illinois.
- ESPNU is a television channel.
- Bronco Radio Network: Broadcasting Live.
Western loses ‘Michigan MAC Trophy’ in stunner against Eastern
In a thrilling game against the Broncos, Chad Ryland’s leg played a crucial role in securing a 22-21 victory for Eastern Michigan over Western Michigan. The tide turned in Eastern’s favor when Western’s quarterback, Kaleb Eleby, fumbled during a 10-yard run, ultimately leading to the setup of the game-winning field goal.
In the contest, Ryland successfully scored five field goals, with the 20-yarder being the decisive shot that secured victory for Eastern in the final moments of the fourth quarter.
Ryland’s final kick marked the turning point of the game, as Western took the lead in the second quarter and maintained it until the end. Unfortunately, the Broncos’ attempted comeback faded away when Eleby threw an interception with only 2 minutes and 24 seconds left on the clock.
In his third game of the season, Eleby achieved an impressive record by completing 22 out of 29 passes for 307 yards and a touchdown. This marked his third game with over 300 yards.
In the game, La’Darius Jefferson rushed the ball 12 times, gaining a total of 86 yards. On the other hand, Sean Tyler had 10 carries, resulting in 52 yards and successfully scoring a touchdown.
In the latest game, Skyy Moore had an impressive performance, catching 12 passes for 181 yards and scoring a touchdown. This marked the sixth game of the season where Moore achieved 120 yards or more. As a result, the young sophomore receiver’s overall statistics for the season now stand at 79 receptions for 1,050 yards and six touchdowns. These numbers rank him second in the MAC conference and tenth in the nation.
Western’s offensive effort was hindered by turnovers, resulting in Eastern’s two-game win streak in the series. Despite this, the Broncos still maintain the overall lead with a record of 34-20-2.
The defeat also signifies that the “Michigan MAC Trophy” will now be taken to either Ypsilanti or Mount Pleasant, depending on the result of the Eastern-Central game on Black Friday.
Except for 2017, when Central won, Western has held the intrastate award for six out of the last seven years. In both 2019 and 2020, the trophy remained in Kalamazoo by default because no Michigan MAC school managed to win both of its games against other schools in the state.
NIU drops Buffalo in OT to secure MAC West Title
The Huskies managed to secure a narrow victory of one point against Ball State in Week 10, and in the following week, they pushed their game against Buffalo into overtime.
The Huskies clinched the MAC West title with a 33-27 victory, courtesy of Clint Ratkovich’s 25-yard touchdown run.
With 1:10 remaining, Alex McNulty nailed a 55-yard field goal, bringing the score to a tie of 27-all for Buffalo. Despite their efforts, the Huskies were unable to secure a lead as John Richardson’s go-ahead field goal attempt was missed at the end of the game.
At the Huskies’ 1-yard line, Demond Taylor Jr. of Northern Illinois successfully recovered a fumble from Buffalo, thus concluding the Bulls’ overtime possession.
Most of NIU’s total offensive yards of 505 were gained through their rushing plays, while quarterback Rocky Lombardi completed 17 of his 27 passes for a total of 197 yards.
Trayvon Rudolph, the wide receiver, made four receptions for a total of 80 yards and also had three carries resulting in 94 yards gained along with a touchdown. Additionally, Antario Brown rushed the ball three times, accumulating 71 yards and successfully reaching the end zone.
In the game, Cole Tucker successfully completed 10 receptions, accumulating a total of 89 yards. On the other hand, Ratkovich made 11 carries, gaining 75 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
History gives Western a chance
In terms of head-to-head matchups, Western currently holds a 26-20 series lead, with their most recent victory coming in Kalamazoo in 2020, where they triumphed with a score of 30-27.
From 2009 to 2015, the Huskies dominated the competition with an impressive seven consecutive victories, marking the longest win streak in recent history.
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