The Kent State Golden Flashes look to stay hot when they battle the Buffalo Bulls in Mid-American Conference action on Friday night. The Golden Flashes (19-5, 9-2 MAC), who are tied for first in the conference, have been on a roll, winning 13 of their last 15 games. The Bulls (12-12, 6-5), who are tied for fifth in the league, have won two straight, but have dropped five of nine. Kent State, which defeated Buffalo 74-68 on Jan. 27, has won the last two meetings with the Bulls and three of the last five.
The game from Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., will tip off at 6 p.m. ET. Kent State is averaging 75.1 points per game, while Buffalo averages 80.2. The Golden Flashes are 4-point favorites in the latest Buffalo vs. Kent State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 150. Before making any Kent State vs. Buffalo picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 14 of the season 57-37 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,000 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Kent State vs. Buffalo and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Buffalo vs. Kent State:
- Kent State vs. Buffalo spread: Kent State -4
- Kent State vs. Buffalo over/under: 153 points
- Kent State vs. Buffalo money line: Kent State -190, Buffalo +158
- KENT: The Golden Flashes are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine Friday games
- BUFF: The Bulls are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS loss
- Kent State vs. Buffalo picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Kent State can cover
Senior forward Miryne Thomas is coming off a solid performance in Tuesday's win over Bowling Green. Thomas scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and had two blocks. For the year, he is averaging 10.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. The Ball State transfer has started 23 of 24 games for the Golden Flashes, and has reached double-digit scoring in 16 games. He has also recorded two double-doubles, including a 22-point and 13-rebound effort against Toledo in a 75-63 win on Jan. 10.
Sophomore guard Jalen Sullinger is looking for a repeat performance from his last meeting with Buffalo. In that game, he scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds. He has been hot of late, reaching double-figure scoring in six of the last seven games, including 11 for the year. His top scoring game was an 18-point effort in an 80-72 win over Western Michigan on Jan. 3.
Why Buffalo can cover
Sophomore guard Curtis Jones has been red hot of late and leads the Bulls, averaging 16 points per game. He is also averaging 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 24 games, all starts. Jones scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists in Tuesday's 102-97 win over Eastern Michigan. Three days earlier, Jones scored 30 points in an 85-76 win at Western Michigan. He has reached double-figure scoring in 19 games, including nine with 20 or more and two with 30 or more.
Junior guard Zid Powell is also a big part of Buffalo's success. He is averaging 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two steals per game. He is connecting on 41.7% of his field goals and 79.6% of his free throws. Powell is coming off a 14-point performance against Eastern Michigan, and had 11 points and four assists in the loss at Kent State on Jan. 27.
How to make Kent State vs. Buffalo picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 148 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Kent State vs. Buffalo? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Kent State vs. Buffalo spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,000 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
