The MAC will be won on cold Tuesdays and Wednesdays in November, and one team is in better shape to win on the Midwest's tundra this year than any other: Miami (OH).
The RedHawks have played for three straight conference championships and are arguably the top team to back when it comes to 2026 MAC win total predictions, while the best team to fade is the one that couldn't be more geographically out of place in its new conference.
Find out more in my college football picks below!
2026 MAC win totals: Best bets
Here are my favorite MAC win total bets for the 2026 season. Looking for another school? Find my complete win total picks for all 13 teams at the bottom of the page.
| Team | Win total | Best bet | Odds |
 Eastern Michigan |
5.5 | Over | -154 |
 Miami (OH) |
7.5 | Over | +105 |
 Ohio |
4.5 | Under | +100 |
 Sacramento State |
6.5 | Under | -105 |
Favorite MAC Over win total bets
Eastern Michigan Over 5.5 wins (-154)
From 1990 to 2013, Eastern Michigan won six or more games just once.
Then, the Eagles hired Chris Creighton, and over his 12-year tenure, he's taken the program to six bowl games. So while the last two years (9-15) have been down years by Creighton's standards, they've actually been up years by EMU's standards.
But this year, Creighton is poised to take Eastern Michigan bowling once again, with the Eagles ranking No. 24 nationally in returning production (62%) and bringing back one of the most experienced QBs in the MAC, Noah Kim.
Kim isn't the only major factor back in Ypsilanti, though, with his top three pass catchers returning (Nick Devereaux, Harold Mack, Joshua Long) and the defense bringing back a half dozen starters — including star safety Bryce Llewellyn.
That continuity should be a huge difference in a conference that was picked apart in the transfer portal, especially with Eastern Michigan playing one of the weakest schedules in the country — No. 130 in SOS (.456).
Miami (OH) Over 7.5 wins (+105)
There's a clear advantage in Oxford, Ohio, when it comes to resources, and that's a major reason why Miami (OH)'s basketball team went 31-0 in the regular season in 2025-26.
It's also a major reason why the RedHawks should push for a fourth straight MAC Championship bid under Chuck Martin this season.
Martin is the best coach in the MAC and has won at least eight regular-season games in two of the last three seasons. Thanks to Miami (OH) 's money and resources, he landed the No. 1 transfer portal class in the conference to make up for major losses to Power 4 programs.
The RedHawks added a combo of proven talent — Evan Malcore (Northern Illinois), Mikah Coleman (Cincinnati), Rodney Nelson (Monmouth), Blayne Myrick (South Alabama) — and former blue-chip recruits from major programs to pair with returning All-MAC talent (Keith Reynolds, Kris Manu, Mychal Yharbrough, Malcolm McCain).
This is the most talented team in the conference by a mile, and as long as QB Thomas Gotkowski is a steady hand behind center, the RedHawks will be positioned for eight or more wins again.
Favorite MAC Under win total bets
Ohio Under 6.5 wins (+100)
At some point, all the coaching changes will catch up to Ohio, and this is shaping up to be the year the Bobcats finally regress. Ohio is on its third head coach following Frank Solich's retirement after a 16-year tenure.
First, Tim Albin left for Charlotte, and it's better resources after four years; then Brian Smith was fired for cause (professional misconduct). Both were internal promotions, as was new head coach John Hauser.
But unlike Albin (Kurtis Rourke) and Smith (Parker Navarro), Hauser doesn't have one of the best QBs in the Group of 6 to lean on. Instead, he's taking over a team with limited experience... the Bobcats are ranked 129th nationally in returning production (33%), including last on offense (18%).
While Hauser's defense should be above average, the offense could be a problem, and the lack of a quality transfer portal class doesn't help. Projected starting QB Nick Poulos has 57 career pass attempts and just a 58.3% adjusted completion percentage on those passes.
Sacramento State Under 4.5 wins (-105)
It's insane Sacramento State wanted to make the FBS jump so badly that it joined a conference whose closest team to Sacramento is over 2,200 miles away in Muncie, Ind. That's about a six-hour flight.
To make it even more insane, as part of the five-year agreement, Sacramento State is paying an $18 million entry fee, forgoing all standard revenue distributions, and covering the air travel costs for visiting MAC opponents.
It's an even tougher pill to swallow for Hornets fans when they realize they're not winning four games this season. First-year head coach Alonzo Carter takes over a team that's No. 131 in returning production (32%) and is set to start over a dozen transfers — including four on the offensive line.
Not only is there no continuity on this team, but its schedule is also hell. The Hornets play three of the best G6 teams in non-conference games (Fresno State, North Dakota State, Hawaii) and have to travel across the country for four of their conference games.
| Team | Win total | Best bet | Odds |
 Akron |
4.5 | Under | -105 |
 Ball State |
3.5 | Under | +105 |
 Bowling Green |
4.5 | Over | -160 |
 Buffalo |
6.5 | Over | +134 |
 Central Michigan |
6.5 | Under | -133 |
| Eastern Michigan |
5.5 | Over | -154 |
 Kent State |
3.5 | Over | -105 |
| Miami (OH) |
7.5 | Over | +105 |
| Ohio |
6.5 | Over | +100 |
| Sacramento State |
4.5 | Under | -105 |
 Toledo |
7.5 | Under | +110 |
 UMass |
2.5 | Over | -166 |
 Western Michigan |
7.5 | Over | +145 |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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