Kent State vs Buffalo Odds, Lines, and Spread

• The battle for second place in the MAC conference standings will be decided when the Buffalo Bulls host the Kent State Golden Flashes 
• The Bulls have won four straight but remain a half-game back of second-place Kent State heading into Thursday evening’s regular-season finale
• We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of this crucial Mid-American Conference clash at Alumni Arena

The battle for second place in the Mid-American Conference standings will be decided on Friday as the Buffalo Bulls host the Kent State Golden Flashes as 5-point favorites. The Bulls enter the final game on the regular season schedule riding a four-game win streak, but lag a half-game back of Kent State in the race for second place. The Golden Flashes are coming off a decisive 64-51 win over Miami-Ohio, but have claimed victory in just three of their past five road contests.

Here’s a look at all the odds and trends ahead of this MAC conference matchup, set for 6:00 pm ET on Friday evening at Alumni Arena.

Kent State Golden Flashes vs Buffalo Bulls Odds

Odds from FanDuel on March 4th, 2021.

Bulls Finishing Strong

The Bulls have overcome a shaky start to emerge as the hottest team in the conference down the stretch. Since stumbling out of the gate, and posting just four SU wins in their first eight conference contests, Buffalo has enjoyed an impressive 7-1 SU run that has featured four outright wins in five games on home hardwood.

BULLS WIN!!! Buffalo defeats Akron 80-78.

Graves records a triple double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

Buffalo closes out the regular season at home against Kent State on Friday. Tipoff is 6pm on ESPNU.#UBhornsUP pic.twitter.com/q3eogNIKB2

— UB Men's Basketball (@UBmenshoops) March 2, 2021

However, the Bulls have struggled to keep pace at the sportsbooks, going winless against the spread in their past three outings at Alumni Arena, capped by Tuesday’s narrow 80-78 win over the visiting Akron Zips as 6.5-point chalk. That extends a worrisome trend when the Bulls are pegged as small home chalk, with the team now losing outright in each of their past three home dates while favored by six or fewer points, and going 2-7 ATS in their past nine.

Buffalo Offense on a Roll

Despite their recent disappointing performance at the sportsbooks, the Bulls remain a force on offense. The club ranks 11th in the nation with 82.8 points scored per game this season, and have tallied an impressive 88.3 points per game during their current four-game tear.

Congratulations to @UBmenshoops junior forward Josh Mballa on being named #Big4Hoops Player of the Week. Mballa averaged 18.3 points and 10 rebounds in three wins for the Bulls this week. For the week, Mballa shot 61% from the floor, as well as 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. pic.twitter.com/kxRQgFroQl

— Big 4 Hoops (@Big4Hoops) March 2, 2021

Jayvon Graves is coming off a dominant performance against the Zips, scoring 13 points and recording his first triple-double of the season. And junior big man Josh Mballa has continued to be a force, averaging 17.5 points over his past four outings, and racking up nine or more rebounds in eight of his past nine outings.

Golden Flashes Rebound from Dismal Loss

While the Bulls look to extend their winning ways into their regular season finale, the Golden Flashes aim to lock up second place in the standings, and the No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament, by sweeping the season series with Buffalo for the first time since 2013. The squad needed a big win last time out, and got just that, routing the Miami-Ohio Redhawks 64-51 as 2.5-point road favorites.

Kent State tops Miami 64-51: https://t.co/FgP9GMd5B2 @MiamiRedHawks @MiamiOH_BBall pic.twitter.com/cxx51xI1oh

— Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) February 28, 2021

In addition to atoning for last week’s stunning 90-71 road loss to Ball State as 6.5-point chalk, the team also snapped a three-game ATS slide with last weekend’s victory. Indeed, the Golden Flashes have struggled all season to consistently reward loyal sports bettors. The club has gone just 5-6-1 ATS since opening their campaign on an 8-2 ATS run, but have managed to compile a solid 3-1 ATS record as road underdogs in conference play, a run that has featured a pair of outright victories.

Stingy Kent State Defense Frustrating Opposing Shooters

And with the exception of their recent loss to Ball State, the Golden Flashes have effectively contained opposing shooters, limiting them to fewer than 60 points in three of their past five outings after surrendering an average of 78 points per game over their previous nine contests. That has failed to benefit sports bettors taking the UNDER when Kent State plays, which has prevailed in just two of the team’s past five contests, ending a 3-0 run.

Flashes Hold Off Late Buffalo Comeback For Fourth Straight Victory

📰https://t.co/eKhd5DuUEB. pic.twitter.com/n4hMD95cfi

— Kent State Men's Basketball (@KentStMBB) January 20, 2021

But continuing that stingy play in Buffalo will be a huge challenge. The Golden Flashes were lucky to escape with an 84-81 home win over the Bulls back in January, in a game which they led by 21 points at recess, and heavy given up 77 points per game while losing three of four in Buffalo.

The Picks: Bulls -5 (-110); OVER 153 (-110)