Never, Ever Gamble on the MAC: UMass' final MAC game as non-MAC school
Take my advice and just don't do anything I'd do.
Welcome to “Never, Ever Gamble on the MAC”! This is a weekly gambling/non-gambling series where I make five picks against the spread and you do the following:
Don’t listen to my advice,
Follow your heart instead,
And just be wise enough to remember that you’re putting real money down on gambling what the outcomes of Mid-American Conference football games could be.
All odds used below are from various sportsbooks, visible through VegasInsider.
Previous picks: Conference win totals | Week 1 (3-2 record) | Week 2 (3-2) | Week 3 (4-1) | Week 4 (3-2) | Week 5 (3-2)
LAST WEEK: POSTED 3-2 RECORD
OVERALL ATS RECORD: 16-9
I’m sometimes secretly trying my damndest to have some wrong picks. Sometimes I try so hard that I look at a +1.5 cover and think to myself ‘yes, this 100% will be a 1-point game.’ Very stupid of me, but I did that last week and I WAS RIGHT! THANK YOU SEAN LEWIS FOR YOUR COOPERATION!
4 ATS PICKS (WEEK 6)
If there was a fifth game on this week in the MAC, I’d do a fifth like normal. This is one of those weeks where we’ll just have to settle for less.
UMass +15.5 at Northern Illinois
If you’re taking NIU here without thinking twice, it’s because you’re a helmet gambler. As someone who tries to give free advice on MACtion gambling, I’ve got to say that that’s a bold strategy and you’re certainly the better bettor for speeding this process up. NIU did not take care of Buffalo in their MAC opener, and I don’t think NIU’s offense is so good that I absolutely must take them. (Defense is a maybe. I love Devonte O’Malley.) But, again, don’t listen to me and just do whatever your cue card says you need to do.
Ball State +10 vs. Western Michigan
I don’t believe in my own pick here. Really, Ball State to cover? Just 10 points? Aren’t we supposed to think that Western can still make teams like Ball freaking State look bad just based on talent level alone? Some games are defined by whoever has the ball last. Others are defined by whichever team makes fewer mistakes. This smells like the kind of MACtion where the game will be decided by whoever makes the stupidest dumb decision last (or loudest).
Also, don’t forget to hit the rewind button and appreciate what this series can sometimes be.
Toledo -6.5 vs. Miami OH
I’d love for this to be a great game, considering the helmets and such. We’re just still waiting for Miami to learn how to offense again, because Toledo’s looking fine as ever.
Bowling Green -16 over Akron
Going against Akron is a wagon move at this point. I wish I had more to sell you on here, and I wish I could be more pessimistic about BG’s odds here after last week’s letdown against Old Dominion.
