Kent State plays in its first bowl in 40 years when it tangles with Arkansas State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl Sunday, Jan. 6 in Mobile (9 pm ET, ESPN).
The early GoDaddy Bowl odds were listing the Golden Flashes, who just lost the MAC championship game in overtime to Northern Illinois, as two-point underdogs vs. the Red Wolves, who just won the Sun Belt Conference but lost their head coach to Auburn.
Favorites are 7-1-2 ATS in the past 8 GoDaddy.com Bowls (formerly the GMAC Bowl) while 5 of the past 7 editions played UNDER the total. [ More GoDaddy bowl betting picks and trends data ]
View Arkansas State vs Kent State Odds and Stats.
Betting Line: Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had set the Golden Flashes as 2-point underdogs on the Sportsbook line for this contest. The total was 61 in early wagering at Sportsbook.
Arkansas State Bowl History
| Year | Bowl | Team1 | Score | Team2 | Score | Team2Line | ATS win |
| 2005 | New Orleans Bowl | Arkansas State | 19 | Southern Miss | 31 | -15 | ARK.ST |
| 2011 | GoDaddy.com Bowl | Arkansas State | 20 | Northern Illinois | 38 | 0 | N.ILL |
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Kent State's No. 34-ranked offense (34.6 PPG) against a Red Wolves defense that ranks No. 50 at 25.4 PPG. The Golden Flashes passing attack has averaged 162.9 yards per game, less than the Red Wolves give up through the air (233.2 YPG on average).
Defensively, the Red Wolves feature the league's No. 69-rated road run defense, allowing 177.2 yards per game. Kent State, meanwhile, ranks No. 70 in rushing offense at home.
Last time out for Arkansas State, they were a 45-0 Sportsbook as they battled Middle Tennessee at home. Arkansas State covered in the match as a 13.5-point favorite, while 45 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. David Oku tore up the turf for 102 rushing yards in the latest Red Wolves game, a 45-0 win over the Blue Raiders at ASU Stadium.
In their last action, Kent State was a 44-37 loser at home against Northern Illinois. They covered the 7.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (81) was profitable news for OVER bettors. The Golden Flashes suffered a Week 14 loss against Northern Illinois in their last game, falling 44-37 at Ford Field.
Arkansas State Red Wolves Trends:
When playing in January are 0-1
When playing on turf are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When favored on the road are 9-1
Kent State Golden Flashes Trends:
When playing on turf are 9-1
After being outgained are 8-2
When an underdog at home are 3-7
When playing outside the conference are 4-6
A few Red Wolves at Golden Flashes trends to consider:
Arkansas State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arkansas State's last 6 games
Kent State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kent State's last 7 games
