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As the conference slate continues on, this week there are four cross-divisional MAC games and six total games (two tonight and four games tomorrow) to keep you busy.
Friday, January 18
Ohio Bobcats (9-7, 1-3 MAC) at Toledo Rockets (14-3, 2-2 MAC)
Game Info:
When: 7:00 p.m. EST
Watch: CBSSports Network
Where: Savage Arena — Toledo, OH
Odds: Toledo has a 87.8% chance to win according to ESPN’s FBI predictor
Jason Carter and Teyvion Kirk will look to lead the Bobcats to a road win over the Rockets. Carter is netting 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while Kirk is right behind him with 16.3 points and 6.4 boards per game.
Jaelen Sanford leads Toledo with 16.8 points per game and, if Willie Jackosn has a big offensively, he could average a double-double. Jackson is averaging 9.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Prediction:
Ohio - 67
Toledo - 76
Eastern Michigan Eagles (8-9, 2-2 MAC) at #16 Buffalo Bulls (16-1, 4-0 MAC)
Game Info:
When: 7:00 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPNU
Where: Alumni Arena — Buffalo, NY
Odds: Buffalo has a 96.2% chance to win according to ESPN’s FBI predictor
The Bulls destroyed EMU 74-58 a few weeks ago and that was on the road. At home, look for Buffalo to win even bigger.
Elijah Minnie and James Thompson IV will need to have huge games for the Eagles if they stand a chance at the upset. Minnie’s 13.6 points per game lead the team and Thompson is averaging a double-double this year with 10.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
C.J. Massinburg, Jeremy Harris, and Nick Perkins will look to continue their roll through the MAC. Each of them scores 13+ points per game and averages 6+ rebounds per game...it’s a three-headed monster that is tough to stop.
Prediction:
EMU - 63
Buffalo - 85
Saturday, January 19
Northern Illinois Huskies (10-7, 3-1 MAC) at Kent State Golden Flashes (13-4, 2-2 MAC)
Game Info:
When: 2:30 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPN3
Where: MAC Center — Kent, OH
Odds: Kent State has a 57.9% chance to win according to ESPN’s FBI predictor
The MAC’s two leading scorers battle it out in this one.
The Huskies will look to stay atop the MAC West with a win over the Golden Flashes. They’ll look to their three man group of Eugene German, Levi Bradley, and Dante Thorpe to keep the points coming. German is second in the MAC with 20.6 points per game while Bradley and Thorpe score 16.0 and 13.0 respectively.
Kent State will look to Jaylin Walker to keep his hot streak going. After missing the first five games, he’s been on fire since; averaging 21.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and shooting 47.9% from three-point range.
Prediction:
NIU - 68
Kent State - 72
Akron Zips (10-7, 2-2 MAC) at Miami RedHawks (8-9, 0-4 MAC)
Game Info:
When: 3:30 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPN3
Where: Millett Hall — Oxford, OH
Odds: Akron has a 54.7% chance to win according to ESPN’s FBI predictor
The Zips will look for Daniel Utomi and Jimond Ivey to lead them to victory. Utomi leads the team with 15.1 points per game while Ivey has 13.7 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds per game.
Miami will try to get their first conference win of the year and snap their four game losing streak. They will call upon Nike Sibande and Dalonte Brown to do so. Sibande nets 16.9 points per game and Brown is averaging 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Prediction:
Akron - 64
Miami - 53
Ball State Cardinals (10-7, 1-3 MAC) at Central Michigan Chippewas (14-3, 3-1 MAC)
Game Info:
When: 4:30 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPN3
Where: McGuirk Arena — Mt. Pleasant, MI
Odds: Ball State has a 58.9% chance to win according to ESPN’s FBI predictor
Tayler Persons and Tahjai Teague will lead the Cardinals in this one was they look to climb back towards a .500 conference record. Persons 16.9 points leads the team and Teague is close behind with 15.4 points and 7.5 boards per game.
Larry Austin Jr. and Shawn Roundtree lead the Chips with 17.6 and 16.0 points per game but Austing Jr. leads the team in assists (5.6) and is second in rebounding (5.9). Kevin McKay is also a strong player, contributing 12.8 points, 7.3 boards, and is shooting a very solid 57.2% from the field.
Prediction:
Ball State - 68
CMU - 73
Western Michigan Broncos (6-11, 0-4 MAC) at Bowling Green Falcons (12-5, 4-0 MAC)
Game Info:
When: 6:00 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPN3
Where: Stroh Center — Bowling Green, OH
Odds: Bowling Green has a 77.5% chance to win according to ESPN’s FBI predictor
The Broncos have dropped their last four, and nine of their last 11, games! Which isn’t good when you’re taking on the hottest team in the MAC. WMU will need Michael Flowers and Seth Dugan to have big games if they want to end this skid. Flowers is adding 16.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while Dugan is dropping 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and shooting 53.7% from the field.
The Falcons are the MAC’s hottest team, having won eight straight games. They’ll look to keep pace with the Bulls in the MAC East and get to 5-0. Justin Turner is third in the MAC with 19.6 points per game and Demajeo Wiggins is averaging a double-double, with 13.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.
Prediction:
WMU - 64
Bowling Green - 78