The Northwestern Wildcats (6-6) and Central Michigan Chippewas (7-5) are set to face off in the 2025 rendition of the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday. The Big Ten vs. MAC showdown will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Wildcats are 10.5-point favorites in Detroit with -395 Moneyline odds, and the total has been set at O/U 42.5 points. Here is a preview of the bowl game featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Northwestern vs. Central Michigan Preview, Prediction
Northwestern Preview
Through three weeks of action, the Wildcats were looking like one of the worst teams in the country yet again. They lost by 20 to both Tulane and Oregon and only had a win over in-state FCS opponent Western Illinois to that point in the season. Northwestern proceeded to rattle off wins against UCLA, Louisiana-Monroe, Penn State and Purdue, however, cruising to 5-2. Even after they fell to Nebraska and No. 20 USC on the road, then lost on a last-second field goal against No. 18 Michigan, the Wildcats saved face and beat Minnesota at Wrigley Field to secure bowl eligibility.
Quarterback Preston Stone completed just 59.9% of his attempts for 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 120.3 passer rating this season – his first following four years at SMU. Stone hasn’t been much of a threat on the ground, either, with just 5 yards and one touchdown to his name. Wide receiver Griffin Wilde has been Stone’s top target through the air, racking up 783 yards and six touchdowns on 61 receptions. Hayden Eligon II, Drew Wagner and tight end Hunter Welcing make up the rest of the Stone’s most frequently-utilized weapons. Running back Caleb Komolafe totaled 937 yards and 11 touchdowns from scrimmage, making him a focal point whenever he has been healthy. Joseph Himon II has chipped in with 604 total yards as a secondary backfield option, too.
Defensive back Robert Fitzgerald made the All-Big Ten Second Team with his 109 tackles, while linebacker Mac Uihlein earned a spot on the Third Team thanks to his 93 tackles and four interceptions.
Northwestern ranked No. 105 with 22.5 points per game this season. Their defense, on the other hand, ranked No. 34 with 20.9 points allowed per game.
Central Michigan Preview
The Chippewas couldn’t get into much of a rhythm in 2025, never winning more than two games in a row. They only lost back-to-back games once, though, so they were about as steady as you can get. Central Michigan went 2-2 in nonconference play, beating San Jose State 16-14 and FCS program Wagner 49-10. In between those results, though, the Chippewas lost by 28 to Pitt and by 60 to No. 23 Michigan. Against their MAC schedule, Central Michigan beat Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, UMass, Buffalo and Kent State while losing to Akron, Western Michigan and Toledo.
Coach Matt Drinkall, who arrived in Mount Pleasant after six years on staff at Army, led an offense that ranked No. 95 in the country with 23.8 points per game. Quarterback Joey Labas led the MAC with a 68.9% completion percentage and 160.9 passer rating. Labas averaged a conference-best 9.2 yards per attempt, but only passed for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Labas shared quarterback duties with Angel Flores, who rushed for 519 yards and eight touchdowns. While Flores missed the last month of the regular season with an injury, he is expected to be back on the field Friday.
Linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski made the All-MAC First Team after totaling 109 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles. Defensive lineman Michael Heldman also earned the same honor thanks to his 16.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. They each played a major part on a defensive unit that allowed 22.7 points per game, good for 49th-best in the country.
Central Michigan last went to the Sports Bowl when it was still the Quick Lane Bowl in 2015. They lost that contest 21-14 to Minnesota.
Northwestern vs. Central Michigan Pick, Best Bet
Neither the Wildcats nor the Chippewas had particularly explosive offenses this season. The former ranked No. 91 with 5.1 yards per play, while the latter wasn’t much higher at No. 85 with 5.2. Both defenses have proved to be pretty stingy, as well, so it isn’t like there is an easy path ahead for one team to suddenly run up the score. Northwestern averages 18.2 points per game when playing a top-55 scoring defense. Central Michigan averages 9.0 points per game against that level of defensive competition.
Stone is typically inefficient. While Labas is incredibly efficient, he isn’t exactly a game-breaker. Flores is healthy, but could be rusty, which might throw off Drinkall’s typical quarterback rotation. The Wildcats should be able to win this one on the back of their run game, as long as Caleb Komolafe is healthy.
As is the case with most bowl games, this one could go either way. Central Michigan is certainly capable of covering a 10.5-point spread. But with so many factors coming into play when it comes to the end result, banking on an ugly, low-scoring affair feels like the safer bet.
