One of the most beloved conferences in the world of college football betting is the MAC, with mid-week action coming from this league elevating it to center stage late in conference play. But the entire season in the MAC is full of intrigue, both on Saturdays and during the week. Here, we look at the MAC championship betting landscape and what bettors need to keep in mind when betting this league this year.
MAC Football Championship Odds
| Team | MAC Championship Odds |
| Bowling Green | +100 |
| Miami (OH) | +280 |
| Toledo | +450 |
| Ohio | +550 |
| Buffalo | +3500 |
| Western Michigan | +4000 |
MAC Football Championship Betting Preview
The MAC is wide open deep into the 2024 college football season. There are six teams still with a chance to win the conference title as conference play rolls on, with nearly every one of those teams having a legitimate case to be made that this is their year. Among those teams are Bowling Green and Miami (OH), who have the best odds to win the MAC title, as both teams are among the leaders in the conference standings late in the season.
But there are several other teams with a real shot at winning this league. Ohio is right there with Bowling Green and Miami (OH) in the conference standings. Meanwhile, Western Michigan, Buffalo, and Toledo are all still in the mix to win the league as well. Which teams will make it to the MAC championship game will likely not be determined until the final weekend of the regular season.
This conference race has been fascinating this season, as all of the teams in the top half of the standings have taken advantage of some of the truly bad football teams at the bottom of the standings. Akron and Kent State have been among the worst teams in all of college football this season, helping some fo the elite teams in this league to stack up some easy conference wins in what has been an exciting title race.
MAC Football Conference Betting & Handicapping
The MAC is a breeding ground for coaches, so coaches come, and coaches go. Teams get into a form cycle and play well for a few years and then fade away into oblivion. Northern Illinois was a constant in this league with four conference titles from 2011-18 and six straight Conference Championship Game appearances from 2010-15, fell on hard times from 2018-2020, and then won the Conference Championship Game again in 2021. Buffalo had a similar run over a few years before Lance Leipold jumped ship.
It can be a tough conference to handicap from a futures standpoint because just about anybody can beat just about anybody else in a given week. Very little defense is played in this conference, so the games are high-variance and often high-scoring. That kind of environment does make it challenging to pinpoint a winner and the best team.
Expect the unexpected in the MAC, where roster turnover and personnel changes are common, and teams have a hard time sustaining consistency as a result.
MAC Football Championship History
| Year | MAC Champion |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Miami (OH) |
| 2022 | Toledo |
| 2021 | Northern Illinois |
| 2020 | Ball State |
| 2019 | Miami (OH) |
| 2018 | Northern Illinois |
| 2017 | Toledo |
| 2016 | Western Michigan |
| 2015 | Bowling Green |
| 2014 | Northern Illinois |
| 2013 | Bowling Green |
| 2012 | Northern Illinois |
MAC Football Championship Wins
| All Time Wins | MAC Team | Last Yr Won |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Toledo | 2022 |
| 11 | Miami (OH) | 2023 |
| 9 | Bowling Green | 2015 |
| 7 | Central Michigan | 2009 |
| 6 | Northern Illinois | 2021 |
| 6 | Ball State | 2020 |
| 5 | Marshall | 2002 |
| 3 | Western Michigan | 2016 |
| 3 | Ohio | 1968 |
| 1 | Buffalo | 2008 |
| 1 | Akron | 2005 |
| 1 | Eastern Michigan | 1987 |
| 1 | Kent State | 1972 |
