Wednesday College Football Week 9 Predictions: Middle Tennessee vs Delaware & Missouri State vs New Mexico State

As college football heads into Week 9, midweek action takes center stage with two intriguing matchups: Middle Tennessee vs Delaware and Missouri State vs New Mexico State.

Both games feature teams looking to establish momentum, and this breakdown from WagerTalk gives bettors insight into where the real value may lie.

Delaware vs Middle Tennessee State

Kickoff: 7:30PM ET on ESPN2

Delaware enters its first season at the FBS (1A) level after years of success in the FCS ranks — including a national championship history and decades of winning tradition.

This is a big moment: their first home appearance on national TV, making it a spotlight opportunity for the Blue Hens program.

Last week, Delaware fell on the road at Jacksonville State 38–25, giving up 255 rushing yards — a key factor in the big loss, but this matchup looks different.

Middle Tennessee brings one of the weakest rushing attacks in Division I, averaging just 85 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry. Delaware’s defensive weaknesses against the run shouldn’t be exposed here.

The Blue Raiders average only 17 points per game and have struggled on both sides of the ball. Their lone win — a 14–13 squeaker at Nevada — was what some call phony after being outplayed most of the game. Outside of that, they’ve gone 1–8 straight up and 2–7 against the spread over their last nine games.

Middle Tennessee vs Delaware Predictions: Delaware -9

Delaware, by contrast, holds edges on both offense and defense and benefits from a strong home field advantage for this nationally televised ESPN2 spot. Lay the nine points with Delaware, expecting a double-digit win.

Missouri State vs New Mexico State

Kickoff: 9:00PM ET on CBS Sports Network

The second game features Missouri State off a bye week taking on New Mexico State, who played just last Tuesday. Rest could matter in this one, especially since Missouri State is coming off a tight 22–20 win over Middle Tennessee.

New Mexico State has been more competitive recently, covering in back-to-back games, including a 30–27 loss at Liberty and an outright win over Sam Houston.

Their rushing attack has shown life — 146 yards last week after earlier struggles — but that the season-long numbers remain poor, at just 53 yards per game and 2.3 yards per carry.

Missouri State has its own defensive concerns, allowing 150+ rushing yards per game, but they counter with a solid pass defense — which happens to match up well against the Aggies’ pass-heavy style.

Quarterback health remains a variable: starter Jacob Clark (“day-to-day”) and backup Deuce Bailey are both capable, but there isn’t much of a major difference between them.

Missouri State vs New Mexico State Predictions: Missouri State -2

The line has hovered around –1.5 to –2 for Missouri State, with sharp money on the under — totals dropping from 52.5 to 50.5. Merrill attributes that to Missouri State’s streak of five straight unders and their modest scoring (22 points or less in five of six games).

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