This week's picks

Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan Prediction, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Bowling Green at Western Michigan

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 12:00 PM ET, Waldo Stadium.

The numbers say: Western Michigan, 86% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 12:00 PM ET
TVCBSSN
WhereWaldo Stadium
Weather55°, cloudy, wind 8 mph
LineWestern Michigan −14, total 44.5
Line movementOpened Western Michigan −15.5; moved 1.5 points toward Bowling Green. Total opened 43.5, up 1.
SeriesBowling Green leads 29–19–2
Last meetingBowling Green 31–13 in 2024

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Western Michigan by 18.090%46
PRIMEWestern Michigan by 12.581%
EloWestern Michigan85%
The lineWestern Michigan −14, opened −15.544.5, opened 43.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Bowling Green or Western Michigan?

The numbers say: Western Michigan. 86% chance to win

Which matchups decide Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan?

All three ratings favor Western Michigan, by 12.5 to 18.0 points, and it isn't close. Western Michigan's best matchup is its run game, 34th in EPA per rush, against Bowling Green's run defense at 126th. Bowling Green's way back in is its pass rush, 45th in sack rate, against Western Michigan's pass protection at 92nd.

Bowling Green with the ball

Western Michigan with the ball

Who's out for Bowling Green and Western Michigan?

Bowling Green

Western Michigan

How Bowling Green and Western Michigan compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Bowling Green and Western Michigan are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Bowling Green's and Western Michigan's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Bowling Green and Western Michigan?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Western Michigan 15.5 points better (86th to 130th). PRIME also has Western Michigan ahead, by 10.0. Elo, which only sees results, also has Western Michigan ahead (71st to 119th).

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
SP+ overall-18.2 (130th)-2.7 (86th)
SP+ offense15.4 (129th)22.8 (101st)
SP+ defense33.5 (118th)25.8 (65th)
SP+ special teams-0.1 (80th)0.3 (28th)
PRIME net-13.5 (123rd)-3.5 (87th)
PRIME offense-4.59 (101st)-2.45 (85th)
PRIME defense-8.02 (129th)-2.28 (90th)
PRIME SOS-6.7 (108th)-4.8 (93rd)
PRIME SOR-3.3 (131st)0.1 (65th)
Elo1231 (119th)1480 (71st)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Bowling Green's offense ranks 109th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Western Michigan defense it faces ranks 74th in EPA per play allowed. Western Michigan's offense ranks 69th against Bowling Green's 114th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Western Michigan's offense against Bowling Green's defense. The biggest edge on the board is Western Michigan's big plays: 25th in adjusted explosiveness, against Bowling Green's 128th-ranked defense. That's a mismatch.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.05 (109th)+0.10 (69th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.16 (94th)+0.13 (109th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.03 (98th)+0.11 (34th)
Success rate (adjusted)40.1% (88th)41.3% (74th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)47.0% (60th)46.6% (73rd)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)27.6% (118th)30.4% (72nd)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.91 (118th)0.96 (25th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.85 (101st)3.00 (51st)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)0.88 (131st)1.10 (75th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.17 (114th)+0.11 (74th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.22 (88th)+0.18 (64th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.15 (126th)+0.06 (60th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)48.1% (133rd)45.2% (110th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.98 (128th)0.90 (12th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.22 (131st)3.06 (99th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.50 (134th)0.76 (2nd)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Bowling Green or Western Michigan?

Bowling Green is better throwing (64th in EPA per pass) than running (133rd). Western Michigan's pass defense ranks 63rd. Western Michigan is better running (47th in EPA per rush) than throwing (93rd). Bowling Green's run defense ranks 117th, so that's a mismatch.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
EPA per play+0.01 (121st)+0.13 (71st)
EPA per pass+0.23 (64th)+0.14 (93rd)
EPA per rush−0.13 (133rd)+0.14 (47th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.25 (116th)+0.44 (76th)
EPA per play allowed+0.16 (102nd)+0.10 (73rd)
EPA per pass allowed+0.23 (87th)+0.15 (63rd)
EPA per rush allowed+0.17 (117th)+0.04 (61st)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.32 (46th)+0.41 (74th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Bowling Green or Western Michigan?

Bowling Green is outscored by 11.0 a game, and Western Michigan by 6.2. Bowling Green's offense ranks 131st in scoring, and the Western Michigan defense it faces ranks 35th in points allowed. Western Michigan's offense ranks 83rd against Bowling Green's 109th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Western Michigan's offense against Bowling Green's defense.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
Points scored18.8 (131st)26.6 (83rd)
Points allowed29.8 (109th)20.4 (35th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Bowling Green has no clear edge here. Its best is 3rd down conversion rate, 84th, against a defense ranked 58th in 3rd down conversions allowed. Western Michigan's best matchup is staying on schedule: its offense ranks 55th in success rate, and Bowling Green's defense ranks 133rd in success rate allowed. That's a mismatch.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
Pass yards / game185.5 (112th)167.8 (124th)
Rush yards / game112.6 (129th)173.6 (58th)
Yards per play5.07 (128th)6.18 (69th)
Yards per carry3.72 (132nd)5.03 (76th)
Yards per attempt6.84 (99th)8.66 (32nd)
Completion %61.8% (79th)75.5% (10th)
Success rate38.7% (117th)45.3% (55th)
Explosive play rate9.2% (126th)12.0% (76th)
3rd down conversion38.2% (84th)44.7% (43rd)
Sack rate (taken)4.8% (53rd)6.6% (92nd)
INT rate (thrown)2.8% (90th)1.9% (48th)
SUPLEX48.0% (124th)57.1% (60th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Bowling Green's defense is best placed to get home: it ranks 45th in sack rate, and Western Michigan's offense is middle of the pack at avoiding sacks (92nd). Western Michigan's defense is best placed to limit big plays: it ranks 35th in explosive plays allowed, and Bowling Green's offense is bottom-20 in explosive play rate (126th). That's a mismatch.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
Pass yards allowed / game162.6 (11th)219.6 (87th)
Rush yards allowed / game222.0 (133rd)162.6 (90th)
Yards per play allowed6.99 (124th)5.31 (36th)
Yards per carry allowed6.53 (135th)4.46 (45th)
Yards per attempt allowed8.34 (104th)6.63 (52nd)
Success rate allowed49.5% (133rd)42.5% (75th)
Explosive plays allowed13.0% (102nd)9.9% (35th)
3rd downs allowed41.3% (92nd)37.5% (58th)
Sack rate (generated)7.1% (45th)6.7% (57th)
INT rate (generated)1.3% (115th)1.5% (107th)
SUPLEX allowed66.7% (137th)53.3% (65th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Western Michigan has the better number in 7 of 12. The biggest gap is power success allowed, where Bowling Green ranks 50th and Western Michigan 126th.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
Big Uglies: offensive line45.9 (105th)51.6 (56th)
Big Uglies: defensive front46.2 (91st)43.5 (114th)
Line yards per carry2.73 (114th)3.01 (85th)
Line yards allowed per carry3.27 (121st)3.14 (108th)
Second-level yards per carry0.70 (137th)1.07 (78th)
Open-field yards per carry0.42 (137th)0.91 (103rd)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)21.4% (114th)16.1% (43rd)
Stuff rate (defense)17.6% (86th)15.4% (111th)
Power success (short yardage)76.2% (44th)74.4% (57th)
Power success allowed67.6% (50th)82.5% (126th)
Front-seven havoc allowed12.1% (126th)9.4% (79th)
Front-seven havoc9.8% (63rd)7.7% (116th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Western Michigan is +0.4 in turnover margin a game and Bowling Green is −0.3. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 3-point edge for Western Michigan. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it. Fumble recoveries are mostly luck, and Bowling Green's takeaways lean on them (0.8 of 1.0 a game).

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
Interceptions thrown / game0.75 (75th)0.38 (21st)
Fumbles lost / game0.50 (67th)0.38 (42nd)
Giveaways / game1.25 (63rd)0.75 (21st)
Interceptions / game0.25 (133rd)0.50 (99th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.75 (15th)0.63 (42nd)
Takeaways / game1.00 (88th)1.13 (81st)
Turnover margin / game-0.3 (85th)+0.4 (41st)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Western Michigan has the more talented roster (108th in the 247Sports talent composite; Bowling Green is 111th). Western Michigan also plays further above its talent: +3.0 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Bowling Green's −12.3.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
Talent composite568.3 (111th)572.2 (108th)
Blue-chip ratio3.0% (110th)4.2% (98th)
Players on roster106 (99th)104 (112th)
Rated by 247Sports67 (106th)71 (93rd)
5-star players0 (37th)0 (37th)
4-star players2 (106th)3 (94th)
3-star players61 (66th)59 (82nd)
Below 3-star4 (38th)9 (6th)
2026 transfers in18 (97th)21 (67th)
Transfer share26.9% (80th)29.6% (64th)
SP+ vs. talent-12.3 (128th)+3.0 (50th)
Returning production-6.2% (135th)99.7% (1st)
Returning passing production940.0% (1st)100.0% (11th)
Returning rushing production0.0% (113th)100.0% (19th)
Returning receiving production2.5% (130th)100.0% (1st)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)75 (75th)112 (112th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes97.0 (98th)98.2 (100th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Bowling Green is −2.0 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−1.6). Western Michigan is +1.0 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is schedule (+1.2). Bowling Green's record is 1.0 wins worse than its play on bad luck, so it's better than the record says.

Bowling GreenWestern Michigan
RECEIPTS (total)-2.0 (125th)+1.0 (50th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+1.4 (23rd)+1.2 (35th)
Roster RECEIPTS-0.8 (120th)-0.4 (98th)
Coach RECEIPTS-1.6 (126th)-0.0 (66th)
Luck RECEIPTS-1.0 (121st)+0.2 (55th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Bowling Green at Western Michigan: questions people ask

Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Western Michigan, 86% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Western Michigan's best matchup is its run game, 34th in EPA per rush, against Bowling Green's run defense at 126th.

Where can I watch Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 12:00 PM ET at Waldo Stadium. It's on CBSSN.

What's the projected score of Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan?

SP+ projects Western Michigan 32–14. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Bowling Green at Western Michigan?

DraftKings has Western Michigan −14, total 44.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan series history?

Bowling Green leads 29–19–2. Last meeting: Bowling Green won 31–13 in 2024.

Who are the players to watch in Bowling Green vs. Western Michigan?

Bowling Green: Jay Kastantin (1,462 passing yards), Austyn Dendy (358 rushing yards) and Winn Sharp (325 receiving yards). Western Michigan: Broc Lowry (1,283 passing yards), Jalen Buckley (637 rushing yards) and Aveion Chenault (431 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Bowling Green at Western Michigan?

Bowling Green's is Jay Kastantin (1,462 passing yards this season); Western Michigan's is Broc Lowry (1,283 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Bowling Green and Western Michigan: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.