Sometimes a game line looks a little too easy, and I always find myself asking, "What's the catch?" Akron vs. Eastern Michigan is one of those games. My mother always told me, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." In this case, though, that may not apply. Akron sits at an abysmal 1-4, ranks 11th in the MAC, has questions at quarterback and has struggled on both sides of the ball outside of its run game. Eastern Michigan, meanwhile, enters on a two-game winning streak after a 23-point road win over UMass. The Eagles sit at 3-3 and lead the MAC with a 66-31 inter-conference points differential; the disparities don't stop there.
Eastern Michigan ranks 15th in the FBS in penalty yards per game, averaging just 39.8 per contest, a statistic that could provide a consistent field-position advantage. The Eagles also hold a significant edge in turnover margin. Akron sits at -6, ranking 130th nationally, while Eastern Michigan is +2, good for 47th in the FBS.
EMU comes into this contest off a convincing 38-14 road win over UMass, where quarterback Kim completed 21 of 30 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Akron's day went much differently. The Zips were routed 41-17 at Central Michigan, and quarterback Roggow struggled, completing just 46.9% of his passes while throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. To make matters worse, backup quarterbacks Broughton and Poffenbarger will not be available, if Akron were to need them, for Saturday's game.
In my opinion, Akron's only real advantages in this matchup are the urgency to stop the bleeding of a season slipping away and, of course, home-field advantage. Even then, I don't see either being enough against a more balanced, organized and disciplined Eastern Michigan team. The Eagles look like the more complete team in nearly every phase, making it difficult to envision Akron getting to within a touchdown.
Akron vs Eastern Michigan prediction: Eastern Michigan Eagles -6.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable to -7 (-110).
