2024 Mid-American Conference Football Preview and Best Bets

We are just a handful of Saturdays away from the start of the college football season, and a big part of that is the return of MACtion! The team at the Sports Gambling Podcast Network won’t let you fly blind into the new season. We’ve got a complete 2024 Mid-American Conference Preview with our best bets for the MAC championship. We’ve also got one team win total that you’ve got to have in your bet portfolio.

The good news for the MAC in 2024? There will be no more divisions! The MAC East and MAC West are gone for this season. The teams with the best conference records in the MAC will face each other in the championship game this year. Let’s check out the favorites and the dark horses for the upcoming 2024 Mid-American Conference season!

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2024 Mid-American Conference Football Preview, Picks, and Best Bets

Mid-American Conference Football Favorite: Miami (OH) +250

Miami (OH) enters the 2024 college football season as the defending MAC champions and are listed as the favorites to repeat. The Redhawks return starting quarterback Brett Gabbert for his fifth season in Oxford, OH, and have a ton of returning talent on both sides of the ball.

The Redhawks schedule includes one set of back-to-back road games right at the start of conference play. Miami (OH) will travel to Toledo on October 5th and to Eastern Michigan on October 12th. That’s not an ideal start, but neither game is unwinnable.

The Redhawks have road games at Ball State on November 5th and then at Bowling Green to end the year. This year, they have Kent State, Ohio, Central Michigan, and Northern Illinois coming to Oxford, OH.

The Redhawks should win at Ball State and potentially sweep their home conference schedule. Their Week 14 matchup at Bowling Green is, at best, a 50/50 game and, at worst, a really tough road spot.

Miami (OH) may need that last win to secure a spot in the 2024 Mid-American Conference championship, but they come into the year with a deep, experienced roster that won the MAC last year.

At plus odds, the Redhawks are one of the safest bets in the MAC. It may be a little chalky, but having a share of Miami (OH) in your conference championship portfolio makes sense. Miami (OH) is where you’ll want to make your heaviest bet in the MAC.

Mid-American Conference Football Contender: Toledo +280

It’s a bit odd to see the Toledo Rockets with odds this high for the 2024 Mid-American Conference championship.

The Rockets lost quarterback Dequan Finn and running back Peny Boone to the transfer portal, but Toledo maintains a deep depth chart. Toledo will look to fill roster holes from within.

Former three-star recruit Tucker Gleason is in his fourth year with the program and should start at quarterback. He’s made a few appearances as a backup for the Rockets, and they’re not starting from scratch with Gleason. He’s not as dynamic as Finn, but he should be capable of running the offense at a high level.

The Rockets will turn to Jacquez Stuart to carry the load at running back for the 2024 season. Stuart is in his sixth season with the program and should get most of the work in the Toldeo backfield.

On the defensive side of the ball, star cornerback Quinyon Mitchell was selected in the first round last year. Defensive back Christ McDonald also moved on to the NFL, and the Rockets also lost RJ Delancy III to Wisconsin in the transfer portal. That’s three massive holes in the defensive backfield.

The Rockets will again look to fill from within, and they’re currently slated to start a pair of juniors at corner.

Toledo has lost a lot. While they’re not going to fall into irrelevancy, the Rockets are unlikely to challenge for a title, given how much they lost this off-season. If you want to bet one of the name-brand programs in the MAC for the title, there are other teams at better odds.

Mid-American Conference Football Dark Horse: Northern Illinois +650

The Northern Illinois Huskies finished 5-3 in conference last year, good enough for second place in the MAC West. However, they were stuck behind the buzzsaw that was the 8-0 in-conference Toledo Rockets.

This year? The Huskies return a solid offensive line, a running back that may be the best in the MAC, and a defense that upper-class man talent up and down the depth chart. All-in-all, Northern Illinois has 18 returning starters.

The biggest change to the Huskies? Quarterback Rocky Lombardi has finally moved on from college. Northern Illinois will have last year’s backup, Ethan Hampton, under center. Hampton has thrown 165 passes in three years with the program. 2024 is Hampton’s first go at a full-season starting role.

Northern Illinois gets home games against Buffalo, Toledo, Akron, and Central Michigan. All four of those are winnable, with the Toledo matchup being the only game close to a 50/50.

The road schedule is a bit concerning. Northern Illinois has a back-to-back road spot against Ball State on October 26th and Western Michigan on November 6th. Both are winnable games, but that’s a tricky spot. They also have to go to Bowling Green and Miami (OH). Bowling Green should be improved, and Miami is the favorite to win the conference.

6-2 would have been third overall last year, but there have been seasons in which a 6-2 conference record was good enough to make the conference championship.

Northern Illinois surrounds their new starting quarterback with a veteran offensive line and what should be a great ground game. If Hampton can avoid back-breaking turnovers, the defense can do enough to keep the Huskies in games, and their ground game should be in for a great year.

Look to sprinkle the Huskies at better than 6-to-1 odds as a part of your conference championship portfolio.

Must-Bet Wins Total: Bowling Green over 6.5 Wins +105

Bowling Green went 7-5 in the regular season last year. They return the majority of their defense and their offense only needed to replace their receivers from last year. Why is their win total only at 6.5?

Quarterback Conor Bazelak returns for his sixth season overall and second with the Falcons. They also bring back their leading rusher and four offensive linemen. The offense should show greater improvement in 2024, assuming they can keep Bazelak healthy.

The defense returns the entire starting defensive line, the top linebacker, and half of last year’s secondary. The Falcons finished fourth in yards allowed last year in the MAC and tied for first in the nation in turnovers generated.

Bowling Green should get non-conference wins against Fordham and Old Dominion. They’re definitely going to lose to Penn State and Texas A&M. The Falcons will need at least five wins in conference to clear their total.

They’ll win home spots against Kent State and Western Michigan, for sure. If they can get a 50/50 game against Northern Illinois, it would really help them reach their win total.

On the road, they should win against Akron, Central Michigan, and Ball State. They’ll likely lose at Miami (OH), and at Toledo. Three road wins is a tall ask, but those are three of the more beatable teams in the MAC, even on the road.

There’s a non-zero chance that the Falcons can wrap up their seventh win before Week 13. Lock up this win total for the 2024 season.

Discover More College Football Content

Are you looking for even more previews to get you ready for the upcoming college football season? The Sports Gambling Podcast goes in-depth on each conference with best bets and favorite plays. Also, The College Football Experience delivers team-by-team previews and best plays for all 131 FBS football teams. Check out our shows, take our expert plays, and let it ride!