Eastern Michigan (EMU) vs. Buffalo Prediction, Preview, and Odds

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The Eastern Michigan Eagles (5-6, 5-5-1 ATS, 6-5 O/U) and the Buffalo Bulls (3-8, 5-6 ATS, 4-7 O/U) conclude the regular season in a MAC bout on Tuesday evening. The Eagles posted an overtime win against Akron last week. The Bulls were dealt a road loss by Miami Ohio in their previous bout. Buffalo recorded a 50-31 road win against Eastern Michigan last season.

Eastern Michigan Seeks Bowl Eligibility

The Eastern Michigan Eagles need a victory in this last game to achieve bowl eligibility. The squad was 2-1 in conference play at one point but were recently hit with a three-game slide. They were dealt a 49-23 road loss to Toledo earlier this month and rebounded with a 30-27 overtime home win against Akron last week to climb to 3-4 in MAC play. The Eagles have not covered the spread in three straight games.

Austin Smith rarely posts big numbers. The junior QB has posted less than 195 passing yards in all but two games on the season. Smith has recorded 1634 passing yards accompanied by an 8:7 TD to INT ratio. The Eagles rely on the running game quite heavily. Samson Evans has yet to reach 100 yards in a game this season. His best output was 89 yards.The senior RB leads the squad with 508 rushing yards on 4.2 yards per rush. Jaylon Jackson is just behind with 508 rushing yards.

The receiving group has just three players with at least 300 yards. Tanner Knue brought in eight receptions last week and has reported 472 receiving yards. The Eastern Michigan offense is one of the worst in the country. They have reached 30 points twice, one of which was in overtime last week.

— Eastern Michigan Football (@EMUFB) November 15, 2023

The Eagles defense is mediocre. They held Northern Illinois to just 20 points in week eight but have been exploited, squandering over 40 points in two of their last three games. Last week the group was outstanding, allowing only 315 total yards which included overtime. The pass defense is solid, marking 40th but the rush defense is pegged 113th.

Eastern Michigan is averaging 20 points on the season, ranking them 115th. They are conceding an average of 25.2 points, placing them 60th.

Buffalo Dealt Third Straight Loss

The Buffalo Bulls are looking to complete the season with four victories. The program is in a rebuilding season and struggled offensively and defensively. They were 3-1 after four conference games but have since lost four of their last five bouts. They dropped a 20-10 home decision to Ohio earlier this month and were eight-point dogs in a 23-10 road loss to Miami OH last week to plummet to 3-4 in MAC play. They have not covered the spread in any of their last three clashes.

Cole Snyder has not been very busy, attempting a total of 25 passes in his last two games. The senior QB is having a subpar year. He has recorded 195 or fewer passing yards in five straight games and has collected 1974 passing yards and a 13:9 TD to INT ratio on the season.

Buffalo will run more than most squads. Ron Cook Jr. has rushed for at least 50 yards five times this season and has accrued 566 rushing yards on 4.1 yards per rush. The receiving group only has two players with at least 300 yards. Marlyn Johnson registered 80 receiving yards last week and has posted 415 receiving yards on the season. The Buffalo offense continues to slump, netting 13 or fewer points in three consecutive games.

— #MACtion (@MACSports) November 16, 2023

The Bulls' defense has been a bright spot in the recent losses but continues to rank near the bottom in many categories. They have conceded just 20 and 23 points in their last two games respectively after holding Miami Ohio to just 325 total yards last week. The pass defense is stellar, marking 21st while the rush defense is pegged 109th.

Buffalo is averaging 21.8 points on the year, ranking them 108th. They are squandering an average of 27.7 points, positioning them 84th in the country.

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Best Bets for this Game

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The Eastern Michigan Eagles need to win this game to secure bowl eligibility. They are the more motivated squad in this bout as a result. Buffalo is having a disastrous season and only has three wins all season. They are only playing for pride at this point. 

Furthermore, Buffalo continues to stumble, dropping three consecutive games and none of these bouts have been competitive, losing by double-digits in all three. This includes an ugly 23-10 defeat last week. The offense has done nothing, posting 13 or fewer points in three straight games. The issues will continue against an Eagles squad that has one of the best passing defenses in the country, allowing an average of only 208 passing yards, placing them 40th. Eastern Michigan gets the win.

Prediction: Eastern Michigan Eagles +6.5

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I expect scoring to be at a premium. Eastern Michigan has especially struggled to generate points on the road where they have averaged just 13 on the season. The Bulls are playing solid defense recently, holding their opponent to an average of 19 points in their last three home bouts.

In addition, the Bulls' offense is a weakness. They have registered 24 or fewer points in five consecutive games including just 10 last week. The Eagles' defense has excelled against the weak offensive opponents including just 20 allowed to Northern Illinois. The Eagles have a stellar pass defense similar to the Bulls, and I expect plenty of running plays leading to longer possessions. The under is 5-0 in the Bulls' last five games.

Prediction: Under 37.5

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