2008 Western Michigan Football Betting Preview

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College Football Wagering – Western Michigan Broncos Preview

Western Michigan has all the mixings to be a solid team for the sports wagering community, but with Ball State, Central Michigan and Toledo in the same division – never mind the same conference – the Broncos have some work to do if they want to compete and please their college football betting faithful.



Last year’s run came unglued as the defense struggled throughout the season. Also, a key loss to Eastern Michigan kept the Broncos from bowling.

They have a better team this year but are again in tough given the competition.

Offense

The offensive outlook is positive mostly because of the spring performance of Tim Hiller. In 2005, Hiller was the Freshman of the Year in the MAC. He then missed the entire 2006 season after tearing knee ligaments but then returned last year to post a productive, yet inconsistent season.

But his command and leadership in spring is a positive sign and should carry over into the regular season.

Brandon West is a stud running back and should be the foundation of a solid rushing attack. He might be an All-MAC first team player by the end of the season. Keep in mind that the offensive line is a bit of a concern given that they have to replace three starters.

Hiller’s top target will be Jamarko Simmons, who 84 catches earned him a spot on the All-MAC first team. Hiller is still working through the rough patches and trying to find consistency, so having a guy like Simmons around will only help. Hiller should also find tight end Branden Ledbetter regularly. He will be a solid, reliable target in the middle of the field.

Defense

The Broncos defense cracked last year but should be much stronger this year. They return all 11 starters and might have 11 senior starters. That should translate into an experienced unit that might be among the best in the MAC.

The lone caveat is that this will be their third defensive coordinator in four years.

The Broncos have to improve against the run, which will put a lot of pressure on linebackers Dustin Duclo and Boston McCornell. McCornell led the team in tackles last year and is a real playmaker.

The plan on defense is to use a nickel package as the base, which means one more defensive back on the field and one less linebacker.

That’s probably a reflection of the personnel, since the secondary is so strong.

Londen Fryar is the leader of the group. He was an All-MAC first team cornerback last season.

Outlook

Quite a bit of the potential success at Western Michigan hinges on quarterback Tim Hiller and the team will probably go as he does.

If he’s decent, the Broncos will probably finish third in the division. If he’s spectacular, maybe they’ll win it. If he’s inconsistent again, the Broncos won’t play in a bowl game.

They have to head to Central Michigan and to Ball State for a couple of tough road games against division rivals, which will likely keep them in the second tier of MAC teams.

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