CFB Handicapping: Miami Redhawks vs Ohio Bobcats
Miami of Ohio hasn’t parlayed last season’s success into much of anything this year. This is the final game of the year and they have no chance of going to a bowl game or even spoiling the season for their opponent.
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks vs Ohio Bobcats
Peden Stadium – Athens, Ohio
Tuesday November 22
Moneyline:
Spread (ATS): Ohio -8
Over/Under:
Odds courtesy of 5Dimes
Miami
They are on the road too so it will be interesting to see what kind of energy and effort the RedHawks can muster. How they play could be an indicator of the direction of the program in the years to come.
The Redhawks started slow this year and never really got into a groove. A primary reason for their lack of success was in the trenches. This team just can’t run the ball, averaging only 75 yards per game, with an astonishingly low 2.4 yards per carry. With QB Zac Dysert and WR Nick Harwell they can move the ball through the air but not well enough to put fear into a defence especialially with Dysert among nation leaders in interceptions.
These two teams used to finish their season’s squaring off against each other but that has not been the case for a couple of years. That is probably good news for Miami because they have been dominated by Ohio losing 5 straight to their in-state conference rivals. The last time they beat them was also their last road win in the series back in 2005. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Ohio
The Bobcats are in a nice spot to close out the season. They have already punched their ticket to MAC championship game so they can use this game as a tuneup instead of having to fight it out to the end…if they like. If the way they have dominated Miami the past few seasons is any indicator, they might have been resting their players anyway. Only one in the last 5 games has been as close as 9 points.
As I have written before the thing that really stands out for Ohio this year is the Bobcats balance on offense. This team could always run the ball with Tyler Tettleton at the controls they are in the top 40 in passing offense too. Not only does this make them harder to defend but it gives them a chance when they are in a comeback role like they were last week edging Bowling Green by a point on the road.
Ohio has been really solid all season long but they have been coming up a bit short for bettors at just 5-6 ATS. With so little at stake in this one it is probably best to steer clear of this side because you just don’t know how much their key players will play. Ohio is likely to be the dog in the MAC championship though, depending on that number I like their chances to play spoiler.
ATS Pick: Miami
Over/Under Pick:
Score Prediction: Ohio 27 – Miami 21
