It is one of the highlights of every college football season. It doesn’t begin until the first week of November, but MAC-tion is extremely popular and the college football experts here at ScoresandStats await that time of year like it’s the holidays. That’s because it is.

Betting on MAC conference football games can pay off in the long run, despite none of the teams really having a shot at the College Football Playoffs. It’s a conference that is not as popular as the Big Ten or SEC, but the football is outstanding and bettors can find plenty of value all season long.

Ohio beat Miami in last year’s MAC championship game, 38-3, after both teams finished the conference season with 7-1 records. The RedHawks beat the Bobcats 30-20 during the regular season, but lost at Ford Field where the conference championship game is played on an annual basis.

The Bobcats and RedHawks are among the top contenders to win the MAC title again in 2025. The overall betting favorite though is Toledo, which last won the conference championship in 2022. The Rockets quarterback that season was a guy named Dequan Finn. After a season at Baylor in 2024, Finn is back in the MAC…at Miami.

While none of the MAC programs are likely to compete for the College Football Championship, the conference is extremely competitive. Smart college football bettors analyze the MAC early and capitalize throughout the season.

What Teams Are In The MAC Conference?

The following College Football teams currently play in the MAC Conference:

• Akron Zips: joined in 1992
• Ball State Cardinals: joined in 1973
• Bowling Green Falcons: joined in 1952
• Buffalo Bulls: joined in 1998
• Central Michigan Chippewas: joined in 1971
• Eastern Michigan Eagles: joined in 1971
• Kent State Golden Flashes: joined in 1951
• Miami RedHawks: joined in 1947
• Northern Illinois Huskies: joined in 1975, 1991
• Ohio Bobcats: joined in 1946                        
• Toledo Rockets: joined in 1950
• UMass Minutemen: joined in 2025
• Western Michigan Broncos: joined in 1947

When Is The MAC Championship Football Game?

The annual MAC championship football game will take place this year on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Ford Field has hosted the event for several years. The two teams with the best regular season records qualify to play for the MAC championship. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.

MAC Conference Odds

Check out the latest NCAAF odds for the MAC Conference, courtesy of the top sports betting sites:

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MAC Conference Favorites

The following College Football teams are considered the favorites to win the MAC Conference:

Toledo Rockets +250

Toledo won three of its first four games last season, including a win over the SEC’s Mississippi State. Then, the Rockets proceeded to stumble in MAC play. They beat Miami but lost at Buffalo, then to Bowling Green and Ohio and then, to make things even worse, they were upset at Akron to close the regular season.

The Rockets return five starters on offense including starting QB Tucker Gleason who threw for 2,808 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. There are three returning starters on the offensive line, which should be a good thing as the Rockets try to rebound from dropping to 108th in the nation in rushing last year.

The defense returns the entire secondary and South Florida transfer Langston Long will man one linebacker spot with Damon Ollison, who saw a ton of action in 2024, manning the other spot. The front four will be all new, but filled by veteran players. A solid defense and an offense that will be more run-first in 2025 makes the Rockets the favorite to win the MAC.

Ohio Bobcats +300

Year-in and year-out the Bobcats are competing for the MAC title. Last year, they won it, beating Miami in the MAC championship game after having lost to the RedHawks during the regular season. What the Bobcats won’t have this season is Tim Albin as their head coach. Albin was the head coach at Ohio for four seasons, accumulating a 33-19 record. Smith has been at the school since 2022 and won Ohio’s bowl game last year as the interim head coach.

The Bobcats will have one of the better quarterbacks in the league returning. Parker Navarro is a solid dual-threat guy who passed for 2,423 and 13 TDs and ran for 1,054 and 18 more scores. He will make the offense go. He has two receivers – Chase Hendricks and Rodney Harris II – back and two other offensive starters.

The defense in Athens is always a good one. Last year was no exception. The Bobcats finished in the top 20 in both scoring defense (18.1 ppg, 13th) and total defense (303.1 ypg, 9th). Albin took a few defensive starters with him when he left to go to Charlotte, but three starters return and a number of Power 4 transfers are expected to contribute.

Buffalo Bulls +450

If you don’t know Pete Lembo, you should. He’s one of the best small college football coaches in the country. A decade ago, Lembo was actually in the MAC, coaching Ball State to a 33-29 record. Fast forward and he took over at Buffalo last year and the Bulls went from 3-9 in 2023 to 9-4 last season in Lembo’s first year at the helm.

The Bulls will return a couple All-MAC skill players like RB Al-Jay Henderson, who rushed for 1,078 yards and nine touchdowns last year. Ta’Quan Roberson takes over at quarterback, but the strength of this team will be the defense.

Ten starters return from last year’s defense. The Bulls had the MAC Defensive Player of the Year (Shaun Dolac) last season, but he is gone. They may have the next MAC DPOY in LB Red Murdock who was second in the nation in tackles behind only his teammate, Dolac. The Bulls return the MAC sacks leader – Kobe Stewart.

Miami RedHawks +650

Like Ohio, Miami just keeps playing for MAC championships. Chuck Martin continues to deliver. The RedHawks went 7-1 in the MAC last year and their non-conference schedule (Northwestern, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame) really prepared them for MAC play.

This year, it’s Wisconsin, Rutgers, UNLV, and FCS Lindenwood. The RedHawks have a MAC-tion three-week stint that will determine whether or not they play for a conference title. Miami plays at Ohio on Nov. 4, then gets Toledo at home on Nov. 12. On Nov. 19, the RedHawks travel to Buffalo to finish out a stretch of games against the other contenders for the league championship.

The RedHawks have zero (yes, zero) returning offensive starters. Still, Miami is optimistic because they brought in Finn (mentioned above) at quarterback. Deion Colzie is a WR from Notre Dame. WR Darion Williamson comes from Florida State and the transfer list goes on.

The defense brings back five starters. Keep in mind that Miami has never finished lower than fifth in the MAC in total defense over the past nine seasons. There are some holes to fill, but Martin is a master at doing so and his record proves so.

The Best MAC Conference Betting Value

The following MAC football teams offer betting value based on their Conference odds and projected seasons:

Buffalo Bulls +450

We mentioned Pete Lembo above. He’s just a great coach who gets the absolute best from his players. The Bulls won’t be able to sneak up on anybody this season, but their schedule is favorable. They don’t play Toledo and they get Miami and Ohio at home in the final two games of the season.

The defense is loaded. As mentioned, 10 returning starters. The offense is in good hands with Roberson, who was a backup at both Penn State and Kansas State. Henderson is a solid 1,000-yard RB and WR Victor Snow returns as an All-MAC selection and Nik McMillan is back after a knee injury took away his 2024.

There’s no reason why Lembo and Buffalo can’t go at least 6-2 again. Don’t be surprised if they go 7-1 or even 8-0 and qualify for the MAC championship game. Anything can happen in that one as we saw last year.

Miami RedHawks +650

Martin has built a winner at Miami. The RedHawks have been to four straight bowl games and they are 20-8 over the last two seasons. The fact that the entire offense will be manned by new starters and the RedHawks are still a top contender for the MAC title speaks volumes.

Miami has gone 7-1 in MAC play in each of the last two seasons. Since 2018, they are 37-14 against MAC opponents. They do it with defense and despite losing seven starters, expect the RedHawks to be solid on the defensive end again. Finn at quarterback is the wild card and the kid is a proven winner.

The Top MAC Conference Longshot

Chris Creighton has been at Eastern Michigan (+2500) for 11 seasons. He’s taken the Eagles to six bowl games and played for a MAC championship in 2022. HIs teams are tough and very competitive. The Eagles play at Texas State and at Kentucky in non-conference road games. They also have home non-conference games against Long Island and Louisiana that are very winnable.

That will prepare them for a MAC season where they avoid Toledo and get Ohio at home. Former Michigan State QB Noah Kim takes over at quarterback and All-MAC WR Terry Lockett Jr. returns. The defense should be very good, which is typical of a Creighton coached team. There are only two starters back, but the transfer portal provides the Eagles with a number of players that could make EMU the surprise of the MAC in 2025.

MAC Conference Predictions

If you didn’t catch the Pete Lembo thing above, here’s a reminder. This guy can coach. Buffalo experienced a huge turnaround in Lembo’s first season, going 9-4 and winning the Bahamas Bowl. In Year 2, nearly the entire defense returns. Lembo will have 10 starters from a unit that really turned it up over the final five games of the season.

Buffalo won its last five games in a row in 2024. Over the last three, the defense gave up 11.3 points and 298.3 yards per game. LB Red Murdock will be a candidate for the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and the Bulls have some serious depth too.

Toledo is the overall favorite to win the MAC this season. The Bulls don’t play them in the regular season. Most experts pick the Bulls at No. 2, Miami No. 3, and Ohio fourth. Buffalo plays the RedHawks and the Bobcats in the final two games of the season. Both of those games are at UB Stadium in Buffalo. Advantage Bulls.

Bet: Buffalo Bulls (+450)

The Best MAC Win Total Bets

Miami RedHawks Under 6.5 Wins (-130)

As good as the RedHawks have been under head coach Chuck Martin, they have only won 7 or more games four times. Now, all four have come within the last six seasons, but the RedHawks will have a tough time getting to seven in the regular season in 2025.

Martin does not have one single offensive starter coming back. Finn at quarterback will help the offense, but there are only three defensive starters returning. The RedHawks play the Big Ten’s Wisconsin and Rutgers to start the season. They’ll play on the road at Northern Illinois, at Ohio, and at Buffalo. Miami does get MAC favorite Toledo at home and they did lose to the Rockets in Toledo last season. Still, finding that seventh win is going to be tough.

UMass Minutemen Under 3.5 Wins (+110)

Welcome to the MAC. This could be the worst team in the FBS. The Minutemen went 2-10 last season and both wins were against FCS programs. UMass has a new head coach in Joe Harasymiak who has to rebuild the entire defense. Only one starter returns from a unit that ranked 128th in scoring defense, allowing 38.8 points per game.

UMass does have FCS Bryant on the schedule, but the Minutemen travel to Iowa and Missouri. The only saving grace is UMass doesn’t play Toledo or Miami. Still, it’s hard to see the Minutemen winning a game in the conference. Kent State and Akron, the worst teams in the MAC last season, get UMass at home.

The best handicappers at ScoresandStats love the value presented each week in the MAC. Make sure you bookmark the site and stay up to date on all the latest MAC news, analysis, picks and more.

Bet: Miami RedHawks Under 6.5 (-130), UMass Minutemen Under 3.5 (+110)

Which MAC Teams Will Make the Playoffs?

None of the MAC’s 13 teams will make the College Football Playoffs. As a Group of 5 conference, it’s difficult enough to have even the slightest shot at making the playoffs. Even though the playoff field has been expanded to 12 teams, there isn’t a MAC team in the preseason top 50 according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI).

The highest ranked MAC team in the FPI is Toledo. The Rockets are ranked No. 73.

Bet: None

MAC Conference Winners

Check out the most recent MAC Conference champions: