College Football ATS Picks - Miami (OH) at Ohio Game Preview

One of the longest running series in college football will resume on Halloween in Athens. The Ohio Bobcats are looking for their first ever MAC title under Frank Solich. Solich has taken this team to the title game four times during his long tenure, but the Bobcats keep falling short against whichever MAC West opponent they play. They are in the driver’s seat to claim another MAC East title and try to claim the conference crown yet again but must get past the Miami Ohio Redhawks.

This matchup in Week 10 of the regular season will take place on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio This game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Odds Analysis

The Battle of the Bricks has been dominated by Ohio ever since Solich took over. The Bobcats have won 10 of the last 11 in the series with the one Miami win coming in 2012.

Ohio has been one of the most consistent teams in the college game this season. The Bobcats are both 6-2 SU and 6-2 ATS and have covered three of their four conference games. Surprisingly, they have one of the highest scoring offenses in the nation and are averaging over 40 points a game. That has led to six of their eight games going over.

The Redhawks will not replicate their miracle run from last year. They became the first team in college football history to start the season 0-6 and rally to win their final six games in order to make a bowl in 2016. This season, the Redhawks are sitting at 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS. Miami was a favorite in four of its five losses and ended up losing by one score.

Key Injuries

There is no line yet for this game because the status of Miami’s starting quarterback Gus Ragland is in the air. Ragland injured his leg against Bowling Green earlier in the month and has not played in either of the last two games. Without him, Billy Bahl has re-entered the lineup and has had to lead the team.

Bahl is not the most accurate quarterback. He has only completed 50 percent of his passes this season and has completed less than 50 percent of his passes during his two-and-a-half years as a collegiate quarterback. If Ragland can’t go, that’s a big blow for Miami.

The Redhawks aren’t the only team with injury woes either. Ohio has seven different players that are considered questionable for this week’s game, including three of their top receivers. The Bobcats don’t throw the ball a lot, but that could lead to the Redhawks crowding the line of scrimmage and forcing either inexperienced or injured receivers to beat them.

Key Stat

Ohio has one of the best run games in the nation and Miami is going to have a hard time stopping it. The Redhawks front seven has not been good this season and they have allowed 4.6 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats’ top three runners are all averaging at least six yards per carry and will be looking to shine on national television. They have had success all season long and are the main reason that this offense has been able to score so many points. A.J. Ouellette leads the way, but quarterback Nathan Rourke has proven to be a solid runner too and has found the end zone 13 times.

Free ATS Pick

Rourke’s play in recent weeks has been a little concerning. Through his first four games, he completed 60 percent or more of his passes every time and didn’t throw an interception. However, over his last four games he has completed under 50 percent of his passes and threw three interceptions. His running ability has kept the offense afloat, but he needs to be able to throw too.

Miami will make Rourke try to beat them through the air by cheating forward to stop the run and that will help the Redhawks get the cover.

College Football Odds: Ohio 30, Miami (OH) 24

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