The Eastern Michigan Eagles and San Jose State Spartans have clinched winning records and will look to close out their seasons with a victory. It is one of the early games of more than 30 NCAAF games scheduled during the postseason bowl NCAAF schedule.
The Eagles were 8-4 and didn’t finish high enough in their NCAAF standings, which caused them to miss the MAC Championship Game despite winning their last three games. The season included a road win at Arizona State, 30-21, in September.
The Spartans were 7-4 and struggled down the stretch, losing two of their last three games. Despite tying with San Diego State in the San Jose State Spartans standings, SJSU lost the tiebreaker to the Aztecs and didn’t get to play in the Mountain West Conference Championship Game as a result.
Here’s a rundown of what fans need to know before making Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State best bets.
Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. San Jose State Spartans
- Date: Tuesday, December 20, 2022
- Time: 3:30 p.m.
- Venue: Albertsons Stadium
- Location: Boise, Idaho
- How to Watch: ESPN
The Eagles and Spartans will play in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at 3:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The game time temperature is 32 degrees, with snow showers throughout the game.
Last Game Record
Eastern Michigan used a big second half to win its last game 38-19 to beat Central Michigan. The Eagles outscored the Chippewas 24-6 in the second half en route to victory. They were rather balanced, with 266 passing yards and 171 rushing yards. The defense limited Central Michigan to 68 passing yards.
San Jose State’s defense was solid in a 27-14 win over Hawaii to end the regular season. The Spartans scored in every quarter. They threw for 208 yards and rushed for 191 more while limiting the Rainbow Warriors to 43 yards rushing.
Eastern Michigan Eagles vs. San Jose State Spartans Analysis
Eastern Michigan team stats show an offense that struggled at times and was carried by a stronger defense. The Eagles were still able to put together a quality season under coach Chris Creighton.
The Eagles were 64th in scoring 28.8 points per game while ranking 94th nationally in gaining 361.7 yards of offense per game. They were 86th in gaining 218 yards passing per contest and 74th in gaining 143.7 yards rushing per game. They were tied for 35th in turning it over six times.
Defensively, they ranked 89th in allowing 28.6 points per game and 54th in holding teams to 366.5 yards of total offense per game. They were especially strong against the pass in holding teams to 208.8 yards per contest. They ranked 77th in holding teams to 157.7 yards rushing per game. The team tied for 62nd with ten takeaways.
Their passing attack spread the ball around and featured two different quarterbacks. Taylor Powell was the better of the two, completing 65.4% of his passes for 1,816 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Running back Samson Evans rushed for 1,084 yards and 13 touchdowns.
San Jose State’s defense is what carried the Spartans through a successful season. They were 22nd in holding teams to 20.3 points per game and 25th in allowing 333.0 yards of offense per game. The team were 29th against the rush, holding teams to 123.2 yards rushing per game. They were 43rd in holding teams to 209.8 yards passing. They were tied for 35th with 12 takeaways.
Offensively, the Spartans were 74th in scoring 27.5 points per game and 96th in gaining 356.1 yards of offense per game. They were 34th in passing while picking up 263.2 yards through the air per contest. They were sixth worst in Division I in gaining 92.9 rushing yards per game. But only two turnovers was the second-best mark in the country.
Chevan Cordeiro had a great season. He completed 60.8% of his passes for 2,876 yards, 20 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also rushed for 210 yards and eight touchdowns. Elijah Cooks was his favorite target, with 64 catches for 989 yards and ten touchdowns. Running back Kairee Robinson rushed for 706 yards and ten touchdowns.
Both teams haven’t sustained many college football injuries heading into the bowl game, with only San Jose State wide receiver Charles Ross listed as out.
Odds Breakdown
The NCAAF odds have San Jose State favored by four points with an over/under of 54 points. Here is a breakdown of how both teams fared in betting standings before making Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State best bets.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Eastern Michigan made for profitable NCAAF picks this season with a 6-5-1 record against the spread. The Eagles were 6-6 on over/unders and 5-1 straight up on the road. They were 6-1 against the spread as underdogs and 4-0 as underdogs of 6.5 points or less.
San Jose State Spartans
The Spartans were 4-7 against the spread and 4-6-1 on over/unders this season. They were 1-4 straight up on the road and 6-0 in home games. They were 3-6 against the spread as favorites. However, they were 3-1 in games favored by 6.5 points or less.
Eastern Michigan vs. San Jose State Betting Pick and Prediction
This game could be defensive to the point that it is decided by a field goal in either direction. Whichever team is able to handle the elements better should be able to pull through. Eastern Michigan is better equipped to run the football, which should be advantageous if snow is falling in Boise throughout the game.
Eastern Michigan’s strength is its pass defense, and going up against a tough San Jose State passing attack in the snow adds to the Eagles’ advantage. It will be interesting to see how much of a factor weather plays in the game. Two teams who were solid at protecting the football may have uncharacteristic turnovers.
The public betting data shows 56% of bets are on Eastern Michigan to cover the spread and another 53% are on the over. Here are our Eastern Michigan vs San Jose State best bets.
- Pick 1: Eastern Michigan +4 – For the reasons listed above, it feels like a game with the weather elements and matchups favors what the Eagles want to do. It should help them limit the Spartans’ passing attack.
- Pick 2: Eastern Michigan +150 – Creighton has sustained success at a place not many coaches have been able to. He’ll have his players ready to go in familiar elements.
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