MACtion Tuesday is blessing us with a truly disgusting matchup between the UMass Minutemen and the Ohio Bobcats. The spread in this game would have you thinking this is a basketball contest between Duke and Weber State. It is not. These are two completely different MAC football programs going head to head. Can the Minutemen finally cover one of these massive spreads? Let's get into it.
Do Not Overthink This…
You hear it all the time, "Do not overthink this bet. Do not overthink it, just take it." I am not the biggest believer in that ideology, but when seeing Ohio as a 32.5-point favorite against UMass, it has to be done. I have to be on Ohio here. The 32.5 points do not concern me, because UMass has been statistically as good as your little brother's Pop Warner team against the local varsity squad. They have been a complete non-factor all season long.
The Minutemen own some of the most laughable stats in all of sports. On the year, they are dead last in points per game, averaging 8.8. They rack up around 233 yards per game, also dead last in the country. Their defense is giving up nearly 40 points per game. They have seen the most rush attempts in football, because they have been behind by large margins all season long.
During conference play, UMass is losing by an average of 27 points. They have managed to put up more than ten points in only two of their six conference games, and even in those two contests, they lost by a combined 32 points.
The Bobcats are Hungry
The Ohio Bobcats enter this Tuesday night matchup averaging 27 points per game during conference play, while their defense is allowing 19 points per game. UMass is coming off a 42-point drubbing at the hands of NIU, a team that has averaged only 15 points all season. Ohio defeated NIU 48 to 21, not quite a 33-point blowout, but very close. It is easy to see why the spread is north of 30.
Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro and his offense should have a field day against the Minutemen. The dual-threat quarterback will be able to show off all of his talent against a defense that is allowing 6.3 yards per play and nearly nine yards per pass. He should be more than ready after their road loss to Western Michigan last week.
I do not see the Bobcats looking ahead to their final game of the season next Friday at Buffalo. Tuesday night will be senior night for many of these starters, and going out with a massive blowout in their final home game as a Bobcat will mean a great deal. Fully expect this to be the ugliest game the Minutemen endure all season.
