I hate all the conference realignment but it will be nice to have UMASS (one of the small northeast teams I follow closely) join the MAC (one of the conferences I follow closely) next season.

2024 will be UMASS last season competing as an independent which means there's still a schedule filled with impossible games like Missouri, Mississippi State and Georgia but the Minutemen improved from 1-11 to 3-9 last season and I think it's likely UMASS goes over their season win total of 3.5 with an outside shot at a bowl game if they can knock off Eastern Michigan in the opener here.

You might remember this matchup from last season, we cashed with UMASS as an underdog in a 19-17 loss for the Minutemen in Ypsilanti in one of the uglier games you will ever see.  UMASS outgained Eastern Michigan 464-371 in that game but went 1 for 3 on 4th down and turned the ball over four times in a game where they covered as a sizeable underdog but really should have won.

I think we see UMASS get some revenge here, the Minutemen return quarterback Taisun Phommachanh and just have a better roster than Eastern Michigan appears to be a very average side similar to what they were last year.  Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton always tends to do “more with less” but I don't think he has better players than UMASS right now and I don't think he's catching UMASS off guard here.

UMASS is finally starting to embrace football, McGuirk Stadium actually had some fan support last year and my guess the Minutemen will build on that this season as they get ready to enter the MAC.  I think UMASS has improved on both sides of the ball, I expect the Minutemen to be undervalued all season and I think they come out with enough juice to win their home opener here. 

****I love everyting about this spot for UMASS.  I'm upgrading this to a 5% MAX BET and would play for 5% up to -145****

Play on UMASS -125 for 5% (or 5 units)