College Football Odds and Picks November 17th – Buffalo vs Bowling Green, Akron vs Kent State
- “MACtion” in the Mid-American Conference continues on Tuesday, Nov. 17, with a pair of games
- Ohio/Miami (OH) had their game cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols, leaving Buffalo/Bowling Green and Akron/Kent State
- Odds for the games and key information about each matchup can be found in the article below
A pair of unbeaten teams faces a pair of winless teams in mid-week “MACtion” on Tuesday, Nov. 17. As you might be able to guess, both point spreads are quite sizeable.
There should have been a third game on the schedule — Ohio vs. Miami (OH) — a rivalry game that would’ve brought intrigue and much tighter odds. As it stands, though, Tuesday will see Buffalo go to Bowling Green (7 p.m. ET) and Akron go to Kent State (8 p.m. ET).
Here’s a look at both matchups, with odds and analysis to get you set for the action.
Buffalo vs Bowling Green Week 12 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | -8000 | -31.5 (-110) | Over 61.5 (-106) |
| Bowling Green | +1800 | +31.5 (-110) | Under 61.5 (-114) |
All odds as of Nov. 16th at FanDuel
We’ll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor after seeing that -8000 money line for the Bulls. Yes, this game figures to be an awfully lopsided one, but that’s because Buffalo has looked like the cream of the conference so far — and Bowling Green has looked like the opposite.
Here are Buffalo’s per-game numbers through two games: 45.5 points, 465.5 yards, 20 points allowed, 327.5 yards allowed.
Now let’s look at Bowling Green: 13.5 points, 316 yards, 50 points allowed, 595.5 yards allowed.
That’s about as polarizing as numbers can get. The 31.5-point spread is understandably daunting, but Buffalo makes a strong case for why it’s so darn high.
The Bulls have covered five consecutive games (including both this season), three of which were double-digit spreads. Most notably, that includes last year’s 49-7 drubbing of Bowling Green, when Buffalo easily covered a 28-point spread against the Falcons.
On the other side, Bowling Green has failed to cover in its past five games — all of which saw them as underdogs of at least 17 points. Oddsmakers are regularly giving the Falcons a lot of cushion, but it just hasn’t mattered.
Pick: Buffalo -31.5 (-110)
Akron vs Kent State Week 12 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Point Spread | Over/Under Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | +980 | +23.5 (-104) | Over 59.5 (-108) |
| Kent State | -2200 | -23.5 (-118) | Under 59.5 (-112) |
Just like Bowling Green, the Akron Zips are no strangers to receiving a boatload of points from oddsmakers on the spread. They’ve had mixed results against the spread of late, covering in two of their past five (including last week’s 27.5-point spread against Ohio).
That adds some interest to this matchup, in which the Golden Flashes figure to be able to do whatever they want offensively. Kent State has posted 44.5 points and 549 yards per game through two contests so far, and won’t be expected to slow down against Akron.
Kent State has won four-straight against the spread in this matchup, including last year’s 26-3 win on a 14.5-point spread. They’ve only been double-digit favorites in one game since, which came last week against Bowling Green (Kent State covered a 20.5-point spread with a 62-24 win).
It's a 50 🍔! Congratulations to Collin Schlee on his FIRST college TD, the THIRD guy to do that tonight! IT's 55-17!#FlashFAST | #BTA pic.twitter.com/Gfackaitsb
— Kent State Football (@KentStFootball) November 11, 2020
The question isn’t whether you should pick Kent State or not — you should. But what about the over/under? The under has hit in eight of the past 10 matchups, but something seems different for the Golden Flashes’ offense this year and we’re willing to put our confidence in them.
Pick: Kent State -23.5 (-118); Over 59.5 (-110)
The One That Got Away
Just a quick note here on Ohio vs. Miami (OH), which was declared “no contest” after positive COVID-19 tests and subsequent contact tracing within the Ohio roster.
No details have been made public regarding which players/coaches have been affected by COVID-19, therefore it is unclear how either team is affected moving forward.
— Frank Solich (@CoachSolich) November 15, 2020
This “Battle of the Bricks” rivalry, which has been played 94 times since 1908, was a chance for these 1-1 squads to try to keep up with Buffalo and Kent State, who sit atop the MAC East division at 2-0. Now that won’t happen.
Miami (OH)’s next scheduled game is against Akron on Nov. 28, while Ohio is scheduled to play Bowling Green on Nov. 28.
Jordan Horrobin is a sports journalist whose MLB, NHL, NFL and NCAA work has appeared in outlets such as The Athletic, MLB.com, the Detroit Free Press and more. He is currently based in Toronto, also working as a contributor for Forbes.com and a freelance editor for Sportsnet.
