Tuesday’s MACtion Shock: Underdog Upsets Everyone’s Pick in Stunning Twist

So here I am, licking my wounds after another brutal hockey letdown — seriously, how do you lose when you thought you had it? The Mammoth falling in overtime was just the cherry on top of this maddening streak. But hey, when life gives you lemons, you pivot. Tonight, that pivot lands squarely on a little slice of college football action — the kind that makes you scratch your head and say, “Why not?” Enter the MAC heavyweight showdown between Akron and Bowling Green. Now, before you scoff at two teams limping toward the finish line with disappointing records, ask yourself: can a game between two underdogs still serve up enough chaos and scoring fireworks to make it worth your while? I’ve got my take, and spoiler—it’s not just about the standings but the grit and quirks that define MACtion. If you think Bowling Green’s favored status makes sense given their revolving-door quarterback situation and beleaguered defense, we’ll talk about why I beg to differ. This one’s a toss-up that might just surprise… or at least keep you wide awake.
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Akron vs. Bowling Green, 7:00 ET

I lost in hockey again last night. This has been an unbelievably painful stretch for my NHL plays this year. I haven’t put a ton of them out, and to be honest, I am probably not watching enough to learn enough about them, but I felt like I had the right side in this one. I took the Mammoth to beat the Ducks, and the Mammoth lost in overtime. So, it isn’t exactly like I was dead wrong about it, but man, I could use a win. I’ve decided to write about college football tonight instead. I’m actually excited for this game as we get weekday MACtion between Akron and Bowling Green.

You might be wondering why I am excited about an Akron team that is 4-7 for the season and 3-4 for the year. I probably can’t give you a justifiable answer for it, but I just like the teams in the MAC. Even in College Football games, I like taking these teams. The MAC usually has fun games with a lot of scoring, and that’s what I like the most. Akron is just 2-3 over their past five games. They started the season by dropping their first three matches, all to respectable teams. They took on Wyoming and had a somewhat respectable 10-0 loss. They dropped an embarrassing one to Nebraska the following week, 68-0. And their last loss was against UAB where they finally cracked the scoreboard giving themselves a chance at 31-28. Since that point, they beat Duquesne, lost to Toledo, beat Central Michigan, lost to Miami Ohio and Ball State, and then beat Buffalo and UMass, and then lost to Kent State. The Kent State loss was at home last week and at least reasonable considering it was a 42-35 overtime defeat.

Bowling Green is not much better, and to be honest, I’m not sure they are better at all. The team is 3-7 and just 1-5 in conference play. Again, you may be asking what is exciting about them playing another bad team? They have allowed at least 23 points in each of their past seven games, and 27 or more points in six of their seven losses this season. On offense, they don’t put up too much of a fight, and have had four different quarterbacks lead them in passing yards in the past four games. I wouldn’t exactly call that the picture of continuity here. They have only had one 100-yard rusher this season, and it came last week in a 27-21 loss to Eastern Michigan. Overall, Bowling Green only has two games remaining on their schedule. They aren’t playing in a Bowl Game or any type of playoffs, so at this point, they are playing to just end the season on a high note.

I suppose that when you know your season is over, you start trying different things. That means that Bowling Green, and Akron for that matter, are both going to throw the kitchen sink at each other. I’m actually a bit surprised that Bowling Green is favored here. They have no passing game that makes sense, and their running game leaves just as much to be desired. At least with Akron they have a quarterback that is reliable and a running game that can move the chains. I would be surprised to see this game go under the total, as both defenses have a ton of holes. I’m going to take the points with Akron, though. I also think they probably win this outright.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024