Why Toledo will win the MAC conference
Lights, cameras, MACtion.
Heralded as the most unpredictable conference in college football, the MAC has a new look in 2025 with UMass joining its illustrious ranks.
Perennial favorite Toledo is once again at the top of the betting board, with defending champion Ohio sitting right behind the Rockets.
Buffalo, Miami (Ohio), and Bowling Green are the only other teams with single-digit odds, but this is the MAC, so we should expect the unexpected, right?
2025 MAC odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Toledo | +250 |
| Ohio | +300 |
| Buffalo | +450 |
| Miami (Ohio) | +650 |
| Bowling Green | +800 |
| Northern Illinois | 14/1 |
| Western Michigan | 14/1 |
| Central Michigan | 20/1 |
| Eastern Michigan | 25/1 |
| Ball State | 60/1 |
| UMass | 60/1 |
| Kent State | 300/1 |
2025 MAC preview, picks, and best bets
Favorites
It’s hard to envision anybody arguing against Toledo’s status as the team to beat in the MAC.
The Rockets endured a disappointing 8-5 campaign in 2024, but things should turn around this year, the 10th for head coach Jason Candle at the Glass Bowl Stadium.
Toledo had a zany 2024 campaign that saw them beat Mississippi State and Pitt, but fall short against MAC opponents like Akron, Ohio, and Bowling Green, while barely escaping against Eastern Michigan.
The good news is that Toledo shored up its offensive line, which was a main point of contention in 2024, and has a veteran-laden passing attack that should give the Rockets more punch than they had last year.
In addition to their roster, Toledo also benefits from the easiest schedule in the conference, and they’re projected to be favorites by Bill Connelly’s SP+ ranking in every game after taking on Kentucky in their opener.
It’s not always fun to bet a +250 favorite in the MAC, but adding Toledo to a conference-winner parlay could be a fun angle (as could another one, we’ve highlighted below).
Dark horses
There’s some sharp love for Bowling Green and Buffalo in the market, but if you’re going to take a shot on a team to beat out Toledo, you may as well hunt for some bigger prices.
And the path should be there.
While Toledo is the team to beat, the path to the title game is wide open with the chasing pack looking unintimidating.
That should open the door for a team like Central Michigan to surprise at an intriguing price.
Sitting at 20/1 (bet365), the Chippewas are turning the keys over to Matt Drinkall after he served in a variety of roles at Army.
While the offense needs a bit of a reset, Drinkall will have a lot of returning parts on defense, and he’ll be leading the Chippeawas against a manageable conference schedule that includes UMass, Akron, and Kent State.
He’ll need to find an upset against Buffalo, Bowling Green, and/or Toledo to get in the mix, but that’s not asking the world of Central Michigan.
Betting on College Football?
Best bets for the MAC
Toledo to make the College Football Playoff (20/1, BetMGM)
We could learn a lot about just how good the Rockets are in Week 1 against Kentucky, but the season really starts after their trip to Lexington.
Toledo will likely need to run the table from that point, and a trip to Washington State could be too much to ask, but this roster is good enough to pull it off.
Rather than play the +250 to win the MAC, I’ll take a shot on a much bigger payday (and perhaps waiting until after the Kentucky game for an even better price) on the Rockets to represent the Group of 5 in the College Football Playoff.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
