The Buffalo Bulls host the Kent State Golden Flashes to complete their two-game MAC East season series. Buffalo won the first game, played in Ohio, 88-79 back on January 25. The Bulls closed as an 8-point favorite in the first game and that number has doubled for the return engagement as Buffalo opened as a 16-point favorite, a number that has moved slightly to 15.5 in early betting. The total is a lofty 159.
Kent State vs Buffalo Game Center
Standout Stats
- Buffalo is 6-0 on home court in conference play with an average winning margin of 24.5. That includes a 30-point home win vs MAC West leader Toledo. Buffalo has won 23 consecutive games on home court dating back to December 2017 with an average winning margin of 20.3.
- Kent State is 12-2 ATS since 2010 as a double-digit road dog, including a 3-0 ATS mark in that spot this season. However, four of its five conference losses have been by double digits.
- Buffalo is 5-3 ATS as a favorite of 15 points or more this season, 2-2 in conference play.
- The Bulls have the No. 6 scoring offense in the nation, averaging 85.9 points per game. They’re even better on home court where they are No. 4 in the country with 90.7 points per game.
- Buffalo shot a sparkling 53.2 percent from the field in the first meeting – its season average is 46.9.
- Kent State is 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS in its last two games at Buffalo. They won by eight points in 2017 and lost by 12 in 2018.
- The total has gone UNDER in five of the last seven games in this matchup with an average combined score of 150.4. Four of Kent State’s 13 conference games have gone OVER 159 points while seven of Buffalo’s 13 conference games have eclipsed that number.
- Buffalo is ranked No. 9 in the country for pace of play with 77 possessions per game.
My Pick For Kent State–Buffalo
Buffalo -15.5
To be completely honest, this game is one that I’ll likely stay away from putting money on myself. I think the number of 15.5 is a little high for Buffalo, and Kent State has been able to keep games close in this spot this season. It’s hard to bet against Buffalo in this spot as the Bulls are 23-0 in their last 23 home games with an average win margin of 20.3.
One potential X factor that would give Buffalo the edge is the availability of senior guard Jalen Avery for Kent State – the team’s second-leading scorer. He has missed the previous three games with an ankle injury and is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game. If Avery is out, I may pull the trigger late on this one.
