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Football is back and that means we'll be bringing you our best College Football betting predictions and picks throughout the wild ride of a season. This next matchup takes us to the Midwest as the Miami of Ohio Redhawks take on the Northwestern Wildcats. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Miami (OH)-Northwestern prediction and pick.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Miami (OH)-Northwestern Odds
Miami (OH): +3.5 (-122)
Moneyline: +128
Northwestern: -3.5 (+100)
Moneyline: -154
Over: 39.5 (-110)
Under: 39.5 (-110)
How to Watch Miami (OH) vs. Northwestern
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Miami (OH) Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Miami Redhawks come into this season following one of their best finishes in school history at 11-3 and winning the MAC Championship with a 7-1 conference record. The success came as a surprise after the Redhawks lost their leading quarterback Brett Gabbert to a nasty leg injury midway through the season. Backup Aveon Smith welcomed the new role with open arms and was able to lead Miami to a bowl game against Appalachian State. While they couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, they're looking ahead to this season as Gabbert has the potential the become the conference's Player of the Year.
The Redhawks' defense also outperformed their expectations as their linebacking core should feature a number of All-MAC players again this year. The collective defense was one of the nation's best in the red zone and they're returning a number of key starters from their secondary. The one area that could use some work would be their pass rushing efforts, but Miami should be content with their defensive front given the players backing them up in the second levels. Still, the offense will be the main focus of this team and they have all the capabilities of repeating as MAC Champions. Furthermore, they have a great shot to put Northwestern on upset alert during Week 1 and get their season off to a fantastic start.
Why Northwestern Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Northwestern Wildcats come into this season following an 8-5 record, 5-4 conference record, and a second-place finish in the Big Ten West. They managed four consecutive wins to close the season and ultimately won the Las Vegas bowl against Utah in surprising fashion given their 1-11 record in 2022. They have a ton of momentum building from their finish last season and this one is shaping up to be much more competitive for the Wildcats given the new Big Ten alignment. Still, they're returning a great room of both ball carriers and receivers, so expect them to continue being a threat within conference play.
To win this game, Northwestern is likely to test the Miami secondary as they go through the air early and often. The Wildcats averaged 202 passing yards per game last season and return receiver Bryce Kirtz and A.J. Henning, who both have the potential to have breakout years from the position. The defense will be a work in progress all season and they're bound to have their low points throughout the season, but Northwestern can play with a certain swagger this year knowing what they're now capable of.
Final Miami (OH)-Northwestern Prediction & Pick
We've got a fun one from Evanston, Illinois as both teams will open their season with a very tight matchup on the betting lines. Northwestern is given a slight edge considering their performances against Big Ten competition during the last season. While it's easy for a Big Ten contender to overlook a MAC school, the Miami (OH) Redhawks boast one of the best squads on both sides of the ball and return as the recent champions of their conference.
Despite this discrepancy in conference prestige, the Redhawks have been a historically tough matchup for the Wildcats. Of the two teams' 10 total meetings, Miami Ohio is 7-3 against Northwestern. As the slight underdogs here, this game could be screaming trap-bet as the Redhawks are sure to exceed early expectations and with the bar set high for Northwestern, this game could be even closer than the spread indicates. Furthermore, the Redhawks are 3-0 in the last three meetings, which have all taken place in Evanston.
With the spread coming in just above three, we have to like the Miami Redhawks to cover the spread given their recent success and edge over the Wildcats. We still like Northwestern to win the game, but the low total indicates we could see a close finish. My guess: Northwestern takes this one 20-17 as the Redhawks barely cover.
Final Miami (OH)-Northwestern Prediction & Pick: Miami (OH) +3.5 (-122)
