Another Tuesday in November means another night of MACtion.
The MACtion Network is back with three picks for Tuesday's college football games, including bets for Akron vs. Kent State, Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan and Northern Illinois vs. Miami (OH).
So, whether you're looking to bet two of the top teams in the conference in the Huskies-RedHawks clash or wager on the Wagon Wheel Rivalry between two of the nation's worst teams in the Zips-Golden Flashes matchup, we have you covered.
Continue reading for our top Tuesday college football picks and NCAAF predictions for the three-game slate on November 19.
Tuesday College Football Picks
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from Tuesday's slate of MACtion games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 7:30 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Akron vs. Kent State Pick
By Joshua Nunn
The Akron Zips (2-8, 1-5 MAC) take on the Kent State Golden Flashes (0-10, 0-6) in the annual “Battle for the Wagon Wheel” on Tuesday, Nov. 19. This game kicks off at 7 p.m. ET and can be seen live on CBS Sports Network.
Akron has lost 2 in a row and is coming off a 29-16 defeat at the hands of Northern Illinois. Kent State, meanwhile, is winless on the season and has lost its last 4 games by at least 21 points, including its most recent 34-7 loss to Miami (OH).
The Zips come into this one favored by 9.5 points with the total set at 48.5. These programs are both in the midst of losing seasons, but defeating their cross-town rival would ease the sting a bit.
Akron Zips
Akron comes into this one off a hard-fought 29-16 loss to Northern Illinois.
The Zips clawed back into it after being down early but couldn't get the offense going and was shut out in the second half.
This team has been competitive in MAC play, but it has registered only one win in conference play.
The offense has shown flashes of competence, and the defense has provided some resistance while facing a reasonably difficult MAC schedule.
Akron has shown some ability on offense, ranking ninth nationally in Passing Down Explosiveness and 58th in Rushing Success Rate.
Quarterback Ben Finley has thrown for 2,160 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Adrian Norton is a big-play threat at wide receiver.
Running back Jordon Simmons is also averaging 5.6 yards per carry, allowing the Zips to move the ball against some of the weaker defenses in the MAC.
Simmons should be able to have success against the Flashes, who have given up 248 yards per game on the ground in conference play.
Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State has been up against it all season and struggled through another blowout loss last week at Miami (OH).
The Flashes scored first when Chrishon McCray hauled in a touchdown pass from Tommy Ulatowski on the first possession following a Miami fumble. However, Kent State would go on to punt or turn the ball over on its next 12 possessions, as the offense couldn't sustain momentum against one of the top defenses in the MAC.
Success has been hard to measure for Kent State, which is outclassed week in and week out. Still, the Flashes would love nothing more than to salvage something this season by defeating their rival.
Kent State has the worst defense in the MAC and ranks in the bottom 10 in the FBS in most major statistical categories, including EPA Per Play allowed (130th), Success Rate allowed (127th) and Havoc (128th).
The Flashes' stop unit also ranks just 116th nationally in Defensive Finishing Drives and has allowed scores on 49-of-53 red-zone trips, including 37 touchdowns.
Akron should be able to hold up in the trenches and protect Finley, allowing him to find open receivers and extend drives. Akron hasn’t spent much time in the red zone this season, but that should change in this game.
Akron vs. Kent State Prediction
While there hasn't been much to like about these teams this season, I can see a path for both offenses to find success and would support a position on the over, which currently sits at 48.5.
Kent State has struggled of late against the top three defenses in the MAC, but it's put up points against some of the weaker defenses in the league.
While the Zips play hard on defense, they're often caught out of position and surrender explosive plays. They rank 121st nationally in Defensive Success Rate allowed and are 130th in Defensive Finishing Drives.
Akron has allowed scores on 34-of-35 red-zone trips, including 29 touchdowns.
This rivalry is very important to both teams, and I can see these offenses pulling out all the stops.
It's hard to bet the over between teams with offenses this bad, but these defenses are completely unreliable. Both offenses should move the ball and have plenty of scoring chances.
Pick: Over 48.5 (Play to 50.5)
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Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan Pick
By John Feltman
Tuesday Night MACtion rolls on, as we have an in-state conference battle between the Western Michigan Broncos (5-5, 4-2 MAC) and Central Michigan Chippewas (3-7, 1-5). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
These programs have had polar opposite seasons thus far, and the Broncos are one victory away from securing a bid to bowl season. Meanwhile, head coach Jim McElwain's Chippewas have had a long season.
For the remainder of the season, they'll be looking to play spoiler for their conference foes. Central Michigan got steamrolled at Toledo last week, 37-10, which has been the theme of its season in 2024.
Oddsmakers have Western Michigan as a -6.5 road favorite with the total set at 56.5. Let's dive right into my Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan predictions and college football picks for Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Western Michigan Broncos
Western Michigan outgained Northern Illinois at home last week but fell short, 42-28. This has been a recurring theme for the Broncos, as their ugly defensive performances have continually cost them games.
Quarterback Hayden Wolff also threw two interceptions last week, which didn't help the defense.
Still, Wolff has had a fine season despite last week's mistakes. He has 19 passing touchdowns compared to five picks while completing 70% of his passes.
Wolff has been a great complement to running back Jaden Nixon, who draws a phenomenal matchup here.
Nixon has arguably had the best rushing season in MAC, averaging over seven yards per carry while punching in 12 touchdowns. His backfield mate, Jalen Buckley, has also put forth substantial numbers, averaging nearly six yards per carry with six scores on the ground.
The matchup against the Chips defense is what dreams are made of for the Broncos — especially considering how explosive their offense has been.
CMU has struggled against the run and allowed a lot of explosive plays on the ground and through the air.
The Broncos rank 25th in Pass Success Rate and 28th in EPA/Play on the ground, so there should be plenty of scoring opportunities for the offense.
Defensively, it has been a completely different story. Not only is this one of the worst units in the MAC, but it's arguably a bottom-10 unit across the country.
The defense ranks 128th in Total EPA and outside the top 120 in both Pass and Rush Success Rate allowed.
As bad as the Chips offense has been due to injuries, I don't see how the Broncos generate many stops. They allow far too many explosive plays, don't generate any Havoc and have remarkably low Stuff Rate numbers.
I love the matchup for the offense, but the defense is holding me back from laying points with the Broncos on the road.
Central Michigan Chippewas
It's been a disaster of a season for the Chippewas, and their injuries to the quarterback position have been unruly. The Chips have started four different quarterbacks throughout the season and are uncertain about their injuries heading into this matchup against the Broncos.
Last week, quarterback Jadyn Glasser made the start against Toledo, and he threw two interceptions. With a question mark surrounding the status of Bert Emanuel Jr., Glasser will get another chance.
Regardless of who starts under center, the offense's focus has relied on its rushing attack, and it draws a strong matchup here.
The Chips' offensive line has done an excellent job in the Stuff Rate and Line Yards Allowed departments, which have created solid running lanes for running backs Marion Lukes and B.J. Harris.
The Broncos allow a ton of explosive plays on the ground, which should ignite a Chips offense that has struggled mightily over the past couple of weeks. CMU put up 34 points against Eastern Michigan a couple of weeks ago, which is a far more respectable defense than the Broncos.
However, the Chippewas can't throw the ball at all, which has tanked their Offensive EPA numbers. However, they're still 24th in Rushing EPA and rank in the 89th percentile in Rush Explosiveness.
It doesn't matter if they're one-dimensional against the Broncos because WMU is so bad defensively.
Defensively, the secondary is the Chippewas' strength. While that's been a solid unit, CMU has still been gashed on the ground. The Chips rank 110th in Rush EPA allowed and have allowed plenty of explosive plays both on the ground and through the air.
That's exactly where the Broncos offense thrives, so I have a bad feeling about the defense in the matchup.
Given the cupcake matchup, I think the offense should be able to break through here, but the defense leaves me with a lot of questions. The number of explosive plays they allow is going to hurt them here.
Western Michigan vs. Central Michigan Prediction
I was happy to take over because I like the many factors working in our favor.
The Broncos offense has shredded all season long, and now they get to face a Chips defense that has allowed a ton of explosive plays, specifically on the ground.
Wolff should rebound from his two-interception performance, and I think he's more than capable of breaking through against CMU.
Central Michigan's quarterback room is a mess, but that won't prevent it from establishing success on the ground. The Broncos defense also allows a ton of explosive plays, which should allow the Chippewas to create some momentum throughout the contest.
Besides, if the Chips' quarterback play turns into a disaster, we could see shorter possessions, giving the excellent Broncos offense a few extra possessions.
I'm following the steam here.
Pick: Over 56 (Play to 57.5)
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Northern Illinois vs. Miami (OH) Pick
With only a few weeks left, these weekday MAC matchups weigh even heavier as conference championship appearances are on the line. Week 13 brings us a matchup between the Northern Illinois Huskies (6-4, 3-3 MAC) and Miami (OH) RedHawks (6-4, 5-1 MAC).
Northern Illinois is coming off a 29-16 win over Akron, while Miami (OH) most recently dominated Kent State by a score of 34-7.
The RedHawks enter as a -2.5 favorite with an over/under of 42.5.
Let's take a look at my Northern Illinois vs. Miami (OH) predictions and college football picks for Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Northern Illinois Huskies
Head coach Thomas Hammock has had his ups and downs this season, but has an opportunity to play spoiler to Miami’s conference championship hopes with a road win.
The Huskies will be without star running back Antario Brown again this week but have proven they can find offensive success without him.
The Huskies are averaging nearly 26 points per game thanks to their ground game. The run game, led by Brown, has been fantastic, but backup Telly Johnson also went over 100 rushing yards last week.
The NIU rushing attack ranks 44th in Rush Success Rate but only 120th in Rush Explosiveness.
The most important part of this offense has been Ethan Hampton and the passing game, which ranks 54th in Pass Success Rate and 14th in Pass Explosiveness.
I expect Northern Illinois' offense to continue to find success, as it boasts one of the most consistent offenses in the conference this season.
Defensively, the Huskies have been solid, but this unit is definitely the weaker part of the team. The Huskies allow 18.5 points and 284 yards of offense per game.
NIU stops the run well, as evidenced by its rank of 51st in Rush Success Rate allowed, but its pass defense has been spottier with a rank of 78th in Pass Success Rate allowed.
While the defense has been fairly steady from a Success Rate perspective, it struggles to limit big plays.
Northern Illinois ranks 115th in Explosiveness allowed, so it will need to be focused and limit the big plays in this one.
Miami (OH) RedHawks
Head coach Chuck Martin has his team in a position to reach another MAC Championship game if it can win each of its next two games. Of course, that's easier said than done.
The Miami (OH) offense averages 24 points per game, but that feels more inflated than it should be based on the underlying metrics and strength of schedule it's faced.
The RedHawks have one of the worst run games in the country, ranking 130th in Rush Success Rate and 134th in Rush Explosiveness.
Quarterback Brett Gabbert and the passing game have been better, ranking 53rd in Pass Success Rate but 108th in Pass Explosiveness. The RedHawks will need to rely on Gabbert to make plays to come out with a home win.
The strength of many of Martin’s teams has been the defense, but this year is a different story. The RedHawks allow 18.7 points per game but have given up 320 yards per game.
While they've been great in the red zone, they rank 112th in Success Rate allowed.
They will need to hold strong again in the red zone again against a very steady Northern Illinois offense.
Northern Illinois vs. Miami (OH) Prediction
The difference in this game comes with the disparity between these offenses.
Northern Illinois’ offense is significantly better, and I don't trust Miami (OH) to keep up with the Huskies as long as they can score touchdowns — not field goals — in the red zone.
I think the wrong team is favored and will take Northern Illinois to win this game outright.
Pick: Northern Illinois ML +115
