The Ohio Bobcats take on the Western Michigan Broncos this week in a game that will feature the country’s fifth-leading receiver, Daniel Braverman (658 yards, 7 TDs). Winners of two of their last three, Western Michigan (2-3) has shown signs of life as of late, following what has been a less than spectacular season. The game starts at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 17 and will be available on ESP3 and AMSN.
In last week’s matchup, Ohio smashed Miami (OH) 34-3. Sebastian Smith had a huge game in the victory, pulling in nine receptions for 91 yards and one TD. Derrius Vick had a great game as well, adding 243 yards and a TD through the air. Western Michigan was victorious in last week’s performance as well, just barely getting past Central Michigan 41-39. Daniel Braverman had a great game for the Broncos, grabbing six receptions for 137 yards and three TDs. Zach Terrell also had a great game with 262 yards and four TDs through the air.
This week’s matchup between the Bobcats and Broncos has even odds and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable currently.
Sitting at 5-1 Straight Up (SU) and 5-0-1 Against The Spread (ATS), the Bobcats will look to improve heading into Week 7. The Broncos are not likely to run the ball very often at Ohio. They are one of the least-effective running teams in the nation, averaging 132.8 rushing yards per game. An important aspect of the game will be if the Broncos can fend off Ohio’s ability to take the ball away. The Bobcats currently rank 11th in the nation with 2.5 turnovers per game. Ohio can likely capitalize on how the Broncos are one of the worst in the country at preventing scoring in the fourth quarter, allowing an average of 10.8 points.
In the other locker room, the Broncos fare well ATS, sitting at 3-2. However, they are only 2-3 SU this season. Passing the ball has resulted in a high success rate for the Broncos, who average the 13th-best completion percentage in the nation at 67.8%. Western Michigan has put in some strong special teams performances this season. The team has averaged 135.6 return yards per game, ranking them eighth in the nation.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ohio, ATS Winner – Ohio
Notes
Ohio is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games.
Ohio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Ohio’s last 14 games.
Ohio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Ohio’s last 8 games at home.
Ohio is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Western Michigan.
Western Michigan is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Ohio is 5-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
The Ohio defense has forced an average of 2.5 turnovers per game this season. Western Michigan is only 1-2 SU when turning the ball over at least 2.0 times in a game.
Among all FBS teams, the Ohio offensive passing game is ranked 60th in the country, while the Western Michigan pass defense is only ranked 83rd. The Broncos passing attack is ranked 26th, compared to the 48th-ranked pass defense of the Bobcats.
