Western Michigan at Central Michigan
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
This Friday bragging rights will be up for grabs when the Central Michigan Chippewas host the Western Michigan Broncos. Neither team has looked very good to start the season. The Chippewas lost 17-14 at home against Bowling Green for their sixth straight loss last week, while the Broncos fell 28-21 to Northern Illinois at home. If you are thinking about betting on the game this weekend, the current odds have the Chippewas favored by 3.5 points over the Broncos at home.
Western Michigan (3-5, 2-2 MAC): The Broncos offense revolves around sophomore quarterback Alex Carder, who has already thrown for 2,299 yards and 18 touchdowns. Last week against Northern Illinois, Carder completed 31 of 53 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns, but also had two interceptions.
A big reason Carder has thrown for so many yards this season, is the Broncos simply have no running game at all. They come into the game this weekend ranked 112th in the country, averaging just under 92 yards a game. Aaron Winchester leads the team with just 220 yards on 77 carries. Seniors Jordan White and Juan Nunez are the two big threats in the passing game. White leads the team with 64 catches for 938 yards and six scores, while Nunez has hauled in 56 passes for 635 yards and six touchdowns of his own.
Defensively the Broncos have really struggled to stop the run, allowing nearly 170 yards on the ground to opposing teams. If the Broncos allow Central Michigan to move the ball with ease on the ground this week, they could be in for a dog fight.
Central Michigan (2-7, 1-5 MAC): The Chippewas are really feeling the loss of quarterback Dan LeFevour, who graduated at the end of last season. New starting quarterback Ryan Radcliff has thrown for 2,342 yards and 12 touchdowns, but has really hurt his team with 15 interceptions. In order for Central Michigan to win this week, Radcliff is going t have to take extra care of the football.
Paris Cotton is coming off a solid outing, rushing for 111 yards on 23 carries, and his performance this week will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.
Defensively the Chippewas haven’t played all that great this season, allowing over 356 yards a game in total offense. While Central Michigan is allowing just 23 points a game on the season, they have allowed an average of 30.5 during their current six game losing streak.
Looking at the Odds: The Chippewas have won seven of the last eight games in this series, but I don’t think that will be the case this time around. Central Michigan has no defense, and the offense really isn’t all that good either. Western Michigan is 2-0-2 in their last four games ATS, while Central Michigan has failed to cover the spread once in their last six games. My final score prediction is Western Michigan 31, Central Michigan 20.
One Response to “Western Michigan at Central Michigan”
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^Central lost Dan Lefevor, not tim hiller