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The winless Eastern Michigan Eagles will try to upset the undefeated Western Michigan Broncos Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET in Kalamazoo, MI.
The Eagles (0-4) lost last week 31-23 to the Central Michigan Chippewas, despite holding a 20-6 lead through three quarters. EMU quarterback Preston Hutchinson completed 23-of-37 passes for 365 yards and three interceptions. However, he did have both of the Eagles’ touchdowns with two on the ground.
Defensively, the Eagles’ defense gave up 25 points in the fourth quarter, which is a major reason why they are still winless. This season, they are giving up 14 points per game in the final quarter, ranking them 129th in the nation. CMU running backs Lew Nichols III and Kobe Lewis dominated EMU’s defense, rushing for 302 yards and three touchdowns. They will try to improve on that Saturday against a WMU offense, which is averaging 183 yards per game on the ground.
As for Western Michigan (4-0), they got their second three-point victory in four games last week against Northern Illinois. The Broncos leaned on running back La’Darius Jefferson and wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge. Jefferson had 81 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, while Eskridge recorded seven receptions for 134 yards. The senior wideout also had a 100-yard kick-return touchdown. They should be able to replicate this performance on Saturday as EMU’s defense is giving up 502.3 total yards and 35.3 points per game.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch Eastern Michigan vs. Western Michigan on Saturday, December 5th at 2:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: Eastern Michigan vs. Western Michigan (-13.5)
Point Total: 66
Money line: Eastern Michigan (+340) vs. Western Michigan (-480)
- Dating back to last season, the point total went over in seven of the Eagles’ last 10 games.
- Eastern Michigan has a record of 0-6 straight up in its last six games.
- Conversely, Western Michigan has a record of 4-1 straight up in its last five games.
- At home, the Broncos are even a better ML pick with a record of 8-0 in its last eight games.
Betting splits
Eastern Michigan: (13% of handle, 18% percent of bets)
Western Michigan: (87% of handle, 82% percent of bets)
The Best Bet
EMU gave Central Michigan a scare last week, but I don’t think it will happen on Saturday against a WMU team that has two explosive playmakers both at running back and receiver. I expect Western Michigan to care of action versus an EMU defense, which is giving up 502 yards per game this season.
Pick: Western Michigan (-13.5)
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