The Eastern Michigan Eagles and the Texas State Bobcats meet Saturday in college football action from UFCU Stadium. Here’s a Texas State vs Eastern Michigan prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Texas State vs Eastern Michigan pick.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Betting Preview
Eastern Michigan didn’t have the greatest season in 2024, however to be fair they also didn’t have a ton of expectations heading into the campaign. The Eagles were picked to finish sixth in the MAC standings, and they ended up in ninth place thanks to a 2-6 conference record. Eastern Michigan had a better winning percentage overall though, with an end result of 5-7. The good news is that the Eagles started strong, rattling off wins over UMass, Jacksonville State, St. Francis PA, Kent State and Central Michigan for a 5-2 start. Eastern Michigan would fall in their final five games to Akron, Toledo, Ohio, Buffalo and Western Michigan however, watching their bowl hopes evaporate in the process. Three of those were double-digit defeats, but the Eagles were close in a couple.
Back for his 12th season at the helm of the Eagles is head coach Chris Creighton. He’ll be joined by returning offensive coordinator Mike Piakowski and DC Ben Needham, each in his third season. The MAC Coaches Poll has Eastern Michigan finishing in eighth place, so there aren’t a whole lot of expectations going into this year either. That said, the Eagles have gone to a bowl game in six out of the last nine years, so the pedigree is there.
Texas State Bobcats Betting Preview
Over on the Texas State side, they had a much better campaign in 2024, going 8-5 overall. The Bobcats finished at 5-3 in the conference, second in the West Division of the Sun Belt to only Louisiana (7-1), who turned out to be a pretty darn good team last season. Still, Texas State had been favored to win the division prior to the season—and by a pretty decent-sized margin. The Bobcats really couldn’t get a win streak going, as they were unable to win more than two consecutive games all year. A pair of consecutive losses to Arizona State and Sam Houston, followed by Old Dominion and Louisiana, buried the Bobcats’ hopes at going to a conference title game. All of that being said, Texas State still earned a spot in the First Responder Bowl where they dispatched North Texas in a thriller 30-28.
GJ Kinne is back on the sidelines as head coach for Texas State, this being his third year in the role. Defensive coordinator Dexter McCoil returns for his second season, and the Bobcats will get a new offensive coordinator in Landon Keopple. The team has to deal with a bit of turnover among their impact players, as names like RB Ismail Mahdi (Arizona) and QB Gevani McCoy (Temple) have departed. McCoy didn’t even stay on the team past the spring, in fact. In any case, there are some big shoes to fill at Texas State after losing a starting QB, three key receivers and three starters on the offensive line.
Why the Texas State Bobcats will win
- Eastern Michigan has lost each of its last five games.
- Texas State has won six of its last seven games against non-conference opponents at UFCU Stadium.
- The home team has covered the spread in five of Eastern Michigan’s last six games.
- Eastern Michigan has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five games.
- Texas State has won the first half in five of its last six games against non-conference opponents.
Why the Eastern Michigan Eagles will win
- Eastern Michigan has won eight of its last nine season openers.
- Eastern Michigan has covered the spread in each of its last four games against non-conference opponents.
- Texas State has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five games against non-conference opponents.
- Eastern Michigan has won the first half in three of its last four games against non-conference opponents.
- Eastern Michigan has won the first quarter in each of its last three games against non-conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Seven of Eastern Michigan’s last eight road openers have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Four of Texas State’s last five games against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
Texas State vs Eastern Michigan Prediction
I’m going to stay with the Bobcats. You could call this one either way, though. Considering how much turnover at key spots Texas State had this past offseason, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them come out of the gate a bit sloppily. Even if that’s the case, there should be enough leadership with Kinne on the sidelines to guide the team through some early struggles. Sure, with the absence of Mahdi and a lot of changes on the offensive line it may be difficult to move the ball down the field. The defense reloaded well in the offseason and should be good enough to help offset any (mild) offensive missteps. Specifically, Texas State should have a really nice pass rush so keep an eye on the edge guys.