Central Michigan and San Jose State will open their 2025 college football seasons against one another on Friday night. San Jose State is a double-digit favorite at home in this contest and the Spartans will look to open their season with a win at home against an opponent from the MAC. Before this non-conference contest in college football, continue reading to get my Central Michigan vs San Jose State prediction.
Our Central Michigan vs San José State Pick
- Pick: Central Michigan +12.5
- Confidence: 3/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Central Michigan vs San José State
- Date & Time: Friday, August 29, 2025, 10:30 PM ET
- Venue: CEFCU Stadium, San José, California
- Broadcast: FS1
Central Michigan vs San Jose State Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| San José State –12.5 | CMU +340 / SJSU –450 | 51.5 |
Key Storylines
- Central Michigan enters the season under first-year head coach Matt Drinkall. They are facing uncertainty at quarterback and will try to overcome that to get a win on the road to open their 2025 season.
- San José State is led by second-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo. They return a more stable setup with a proven passing attack led by Walker Eget and strengthened by transfers.
- The Spartans have home-field advantage at CEFCU Stadium. They finished last regular season with a home win over Stanford and will look to replicate their home success to start this year.
- Central Michigan averaged just 22.6 points per game last season and they will have a ton to prove on that side of the ball to start the year.
Quarterback Play
Central Michigan’s quarterback situation isn’t pretty going into this game. Joe Labas is the most experienced quarterback on their roster and it will be interesting to see how the Chippewas handle things at this position. Walker Eget returns as the starting quarterback for San Jose State to begin this year. Eget threw for 2,504 yards and will have to overcome the loss of Nick Nash to the NFL.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Central Michigan is 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
- San José State is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games.
- The total has gone over in 4 of San José State’s last 6 home games.
- These teams have played twice all-time. Both teams have won once against each other and their last meeting was all the way back in 1990.
Central Michigan vs San Jose State Model Projection
Score Projection: Central Michigan 21 – San José State 30
Win Probability: Central Michigan 26%, San José State 74%
Final Thoughts
San Jose State should win this game at home against Central Michigan. But I think that the Chippewas will find a way to cover the number in this contest. The loss of Nick Nash on the outside for the Spartans’ offense will make it harder for them to move the ball. This should be around a 10-point game and the Chips should cover the spread as an underdog.
