Central Michigan vs Buffalo Picks and Odds

• The Central Michigan Chippewas look to snap a 10-game losing streak vs Buffalo on Thursday
• Buffalo returns home on the heels of their best offensive performance of the season
• We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of Thursday afternoon’s clash at Alumni Arena

The Central Michigan Chippewas will try to bounce back from their worst defeat in 16 years when they visit the Buffalo Bulls on Thursday as massive 19.5-point underdogs. The Chippewas suffered a crushing 96-54 loss to Miami-Ohio on Tuesday, and now ride a six-game SU losing streak.

The Bulls return home after recording a decisive 102-74 win over Northern Illinois on Tuesday to improve to 4-2 SU over their past six contests.

Here’s a look at all the odds and trends ahead of this Mid-American Conference matchup, set for 2pm ET on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Arena.

Central Michigan vs Buffalo Odds

*Odds taken at FanDuel on 02/24/2021.

Chippewas in Freefall

Things went from bad to worse for the Chippewas in Tuesday night’s 96-54 loss to the Redhawks as 5-point home underdogs. In addition to marking the team’s worst loss since falling to Western Michigan by a 45-point margin back in January 2005, Tuesday’s defeat also equals the seventh-worst beating in program history.

HALFTIME. Miami 58, CMU 18.

Murray leads the Chippewas with 6 points. #FireUpChips 🔥⬆️🏀

— CMU Men's Basketball (@CMUMensBBall) February 23, 2021

While an unscheduled 16-day layoff due to COVID-19 concerns certainly played in role in this week’s beatdown, problems lie far deeper at Central Michigan. Overall, this team has now lost SU in six straight, and nine of their past 10, dumping them to 10th place in the conference. And the losses have been ugly, with six of nine recent defeats coming by double-digit margins, fueling a 2-8 ATS run for the beleaguered Chippewas.

Injury updates from Keno Davis:

Travon Broadway Jr: hopeful to have him back in the near future.

Aundre Polk and Devontae Lane: hopeful to get this back at some point this season.

— "The Big Dog" Mitch Vosburg (@realmitchvburg) February 24, 2021

A rash of injuries that sidelined several starters, including Travon Broadway Jr didn’t help matters in this week’s loss. Broadway has been one of the few bright spots for the Chippewas during their current slide. The senior guard has averaged over 20 points per game in his past nine appearances, capped by a career-high 29-point performance in the team’s narrow 67-65 loss to Northern Michigan almost three weeks ago.

Bulls Aim to Build on Strong Performance

While the Chippewas look to break out of their freefall, the Bulls return home aiming to build on their biggest offensive performance of the season. Buffalo piled up an impressive 51 first-half points in Tuesday’s 102-74 rout of the North Illinois Huskies, easily covering as 12-point road chalk.

Overall, the Bulls have won five of seven to climb into fifth place in the conference standings. The team has also emerged as a steady bet, going 8-3 ATS in their past 11 outings, and have also covered in three straight while favored by double digits.

The Bulls have struggled to produce consistent results on home hardwood, stumbling to a 3-3 record over their past six, all as betting chalk. Buffalo has consistently risen to the occasion when pegged as a big favorite, going 17-1 SU and 10-7-1 ATS in the team’s past 18 while favored by at least 15 points.

While they have claimed outright victory in each of their past 10 dates with the Chippewas, the Bulls have covered in just two of their past six matchups, and have twice failed to pay out as double-digit chalk during that stretch.

Yesterday's @UnitedRentals Player of the Game is Josh Mballa#UBhornsUP pic.twitter.com/kKCcKi0WrC

— Buffalo Men's Basketball (@UBuffaloMBB) February 24, 2021

Buffalo’s mixed results as big chalk may give sports bettors pause. The Chippewas’ desire to overcome Tuesday’s embarrassing defeat also makes them a dangerous opponent. But the Bulls enjoy good health, and have consistently knocked off opponents that trail them in the MAC standings. And if they can avoid looking past Thursday’s contest to this weekend’s crucial clash with Ohio, the Bulls are well positioned to extend their dominance over Central Michigan.

The Picks: Bulls -19.5 (-110); OVER 160 (-110)