College Football Week 13 Picks: MAC-Tion Tuesday Night Best Bets

As is typically the case this late in the season, the college football slate kicks off with some mid-week MAC-Tion.

Check out what bets we’re targeting with our Week 13 Tuesday night selections!

Where to Watch Western Michigan Broncos vs Northern Illinois Huskies

Stadium: Brigham Field at Husky Stadium
Location: DeKalb, IL
Where to Watch: ESPN2
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Spread: WMU -6.5 | Total: 38.5
Moneyline: WMU -240 | NIU +198

Note: All odds are subject to change after article publication. Get the most up-to-date odds here.

The Western Michigan Broncos are in the driver’s seat in the Mid-American Conference. Western Michigan leads the way with a 5-1 record, needing to close out the season with two wins to assure itself of a spot in the conference championship. The Northern Illinois Huskies abandoned those aspirations months ago, but they can still embrace the role of spoiler in Week 13.

Western Michigan has gotten by on the strength of its defense. Despite ranking 116th in total offense, the Broncos have squashed the top MAC offenses en route to the top of the standings. They give up less than 292 yards per game, looking equally adept at stopping the run and pass. At the same time, their methodical run-first offense has been key to keeping their defense fresh and dictating tempo.

The Huskies are more than content to play a similar brand of football. They average a laughable 96.7 passing yards per game, with almost 62.0% of their offensive production coming via the ground game. Like the Broncos, they emphasize hard-nosed defensive play, albeit not at the same level as their Week 13 foes. But with two of its three wins coming over the past few weeks, Northern Illinois has clearly unlocked the key to success.

Based on records alone, Western Michigan is deserving of a much heftier spread. Still, the defense-first game script will dictate a much closer battle. The safe play is taking the Huskies to cover, but we can’t overlook the value in backing them to cash outright versus the Broncos.

Best Bet: Northern Illinois +198

Where to Watch UMass Minutemen vs Ohio Bobcats

Stadium: Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium
Location: Athens, OH
Where to Watch: CBSSN
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Spread: OHIO -33.5 | Total: 51.5
Moneyline: N/A

Rarely do we see such a divisive spread between two Group of Five opponents. But sadly, the shoe fits. The Ohio Bobcats need a win and some help if they hope to move back into the running for a spot in the MAC Championship Game. The UMass Minutemen are the argument for relegation, and they won’t offer much resistance against the Bobcats.

The Bobcats were stunned last week, falling 17-13 to Western Michigan. Now sitting 4-2 in conference play, they are tied with four other teams for the second-best record in the conference. Thankfully, Ohio’s metrics point toward a sharp increase in production. They have put up just 625 total yards of offense over their last two games, a steep decline from their season-long average of 409.9. Naturally, that anticipated progression starts against UMass on Tuesday night.

The Minutemen are lost on the defensive side of the football. They are one of the worst teams in the country, giving up 440.9 yards and 37.6 points per game. More concerning, both benchmarks are on the rise. They gave up 45 points and 433 yards to the lowly NIU Huskies last week, bringing their three-game average up to 467.3 yards and 42.3 points.

Ohio’s path to victory is a formality, and we expect the Bobcats to have something to prove in their last home game of the season. Don’t worry, UMass fans, there are only two games left in the season.

Best Bet: Ohio -33.5

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Where to Watch Akron Zips vs Bowling Green Falcons

Stadium: Doyt L. Perry Stadium
Location: Bowling Green, OH
Where to Watch: ESPNU
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Spread: BGSU -3.5 | Total: 46.5
Moneyline: BGSU -158 | AKR +134

Pride is the only thing on the line as the 3-7 Bowling Green Falcons host the 4-7 Akron Zips at Doyt L. Perry Stadium. The Falcons have been on an unslightly slide, and it will be hard to reverse course against a surging Zips squad.

Offense has never been a strength of the Bowling Green Falcons, and that’s true again in 2025. They average a minuscule 300.3 yards per game, looking completely inept in the passing attack. Comparably, the Falcons’ ground game is better, but it’s still not good enough to break through Akron’s stifling defensive front.

The Zips have done well to contain opponents’ rushing attacks this season. They held Kent State to just 57 rushing yards last time out, making it three straight games in which they’ve held opponents to 91 yards or fewer. Altogether, they’ve held those three foes to a combined 225 rushing yards, or 75.0 yards per game.

Akron’s stout defensive line will negate Bowling Green’s offense. But the Zips will likely struggle to gain any substantive yardage against the Falcons’ sturdy defensive unit. This will be a battle of field position from start to finish, with the game decided by a field goal or less. Give us the points with Akron.

Best Bet: Akron +3.5