Eastern Michigan at UMass Pick & Prediction For 8/31/2024

The Eastern Michigan Eagles will take on the UMass Minutemen on August 31, 2024, with the Eagles being 1.5 point underdogs according to DraftKings Sportsbook. As for the betting action, 43% of spread bets are on Eastern Michigan, while 57% of bets favor UMass. The total of 49.5 has seen 41% of bets on the under and 59% on the over. Here, we will break down what should be an interesting non-conference matchup between Eastern Michigan and UMass!

Can Eastern Michigan Solve Road Woes?

Last season, the Eastern Michigan Eagles finished with a 6-7 record, losing six of their seven games that didn't take place on their home field. This season, they have to be better on the road if they want any chance to be a threat in the MAC. That will start with this winnable game in non-conference play against a UMass team that struggled mightily at home in 2023.

It is interesting to note that road openers have not been kind to Eastern Michigan historically. They have not won a road season opener since 1995, dropping eight straight away games to kick off previous seasons. But with over two dozen transfers coming in this year, the Eagles will hope that this new era in college football will lead to a more positive opening to their year away from Ypsilanti.

UMass Hopes For Better Performances at Home

The UMass Minutemen went 3-9 last season, with wins over New Mexico State, Army, and Merrimack. Those wins over New Mexico State and Army were decent wins, even if they had just two victories over FBS opponents. Now, the Minutemen will look to start their season with a win over Eastern Michigan to buck a nasty trend of struggling on their home field against FBS competition.

Last season, UMass went 0-5 in home games against teams from the FBS ranks, with their lone home win last season coming against FCS Merrimack. If UMass is going to get a home win over an FBS opponent here, their defense will need to be better than it was last season, when UMass allowed nearly 38 points per game.

Eastern Michigan vs UMass Best Bet

It is hard to back either of these teams to deliver a reliable performance based on their recent histories in the situations they find themselves in for this game. But we will back UMass as a slight home favorite here, over an Eastern Michigan team that has been dreadful away from their home stadium over the last year or so. This will be a tight game in either direction, but we think UMass does just enough to pull it out in the end.

For more on today's game check out the comprehensive statistics, betting odds, and trends below. Be sure to check out all our free NCAAFB picks here.