Miami (OH) vs. Buffalo Odds
| Miami (OH) Odds | +8 (-112) [BET NOW] |
| Buffalo Odds | -8 (-109) [BET NOW] |
| Moneyline | +230 / -315 [BET NOW] |
| Over/Under | 56 [BET NOW] |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
The Miami (OH) RedHawks will travel north to face the Buffalo Bulls for Tuesday night MACtion as these teams battle for supremacy in the MAC East. Both teams enter the contest undefeated after the opening week of conference play. Miami was listed as the favorite to win the MAC East in the coach’s poll, and Buffalo was voted to win the MAC in the media poll.
The RedHawks were victorious against Ball State last Wednesday, winning 38-31. The Bulls, meanwhile, knocked off the Northern Illinois Huskies on the road, 49-30. Miami and Buffalo both covered and hit the over in their season openers. Miami leads the all-time series, 15-7, after securing a 14-point win in Oxford last year.
Miami is coming into the game with starting quarterback Brett Gabbert, who's listed as questionable after he suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the opener. AJ Mayer replaced Gabbert and promptly went 16-of-24 for 212 yards and three touchdowns en route to the win. Mayer was named MAC Co-Offensive Player of the week.
Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson collected the other half of the MAC co-Offensive Player of the Week honor after rushing the ball 20 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulls will look to feature their ground game anchored by Patterson against Miami’s unclear quarterback situation.
Miami (OH) RedHawks
The defending MAC champs rallied behind Mayer, a redshirt sophomore, to defeat Ball State. Mayer was very impressive in relief of the starting Gabbert, whose brother is Buccaneers quarterback Blaine Gabbert. It's unclear which way the RedHawks will go at quarterback on Tuesday night, but look for Mayer to get the look given his performance last week.
The RedHawks had 422 yards of total offense, averaging 5.7 yards per play en route to five touchdowns. Miami is utilizing a running back by committee for the time being, with three backs receiving nine or more carries. The backfield generated 134 yards on 42 attempts for an average of 3.2 yards per carry and two touchdowns. The RedHawks scored on six of their seven trips to the red zone last week, including all five of their touchdowns. Look for the RedHawks to continue their running back by committee approach as they look to solidify their starting QB.
The defense struggled against Ball State, giving up 31 points. The RedHawks gave up 478 yards and four touchdowns, allowing 6.83 yards per play. They allowed 309 yards through the air for one touchdown. On the ground, they gave up 195 yards for 3.3 yards per attempt and three touchdowns. The RedHawks had six sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. The late interception put Miami in position for the go-ahead touchdown with less than one minute left in the game.
Buffalo Bulls
The Bulls’ offense is led by Patterson in the backfield. In his 28th career game, he rushed for two touchdowns and scored the 35th rushing touchdown of his career, which broke the all-time school record. Patterson enters the game 51 yards shy of 3,000 career yards.
Facing a Miami team that struggled so much against the run last week, expect Patterson to have a big showing.
Junior QB Kyle Vantrease was 12-of-18 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception, adding a rushing touchdown as well. The Bulls put up 357 yards of total offense, averaging an impressive seven yards per play.
Buffalo's defense took charge last week, contributing a remarkable three touchdowns against Northern Illinois. The scores came on two fumble recoveries and a pick-six. After one game this season, the Bulls are tied for first in the nation in defensive touchdowns. Buffalo allowed 397 yards and 30 points against Northern Illinois, with 241 of those yards and one touchdown coming through the air. On the ground, it allowed 3.3 yards per carry. The Bulls put up three sacks, one interception and four fumbles recovered.
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Betting Analysis & Pick
The RedHawks' QB situation is a big question mark for the game. They have a strong run game and will look to get the table of running backs going early. This should pave the way for whichever quarterback ends up starting. The Bulls will continue to ride Patterson as the lead man in their offense and use him to open up the passing game.
Both teams had humdrum performances against the run in the opening week. Miami allowed 195 yards and three touchdowns, while The Bulls gave up 156 yards and three touchdowns. Expect a run-heavy approach from both sides.
Overall, Buffalo is the better team. It has one the best running backs in the country in Patterson, and Vantrease was sharp in his first game. Defensively, the five turnovers forced were also very impressive. Buffalo’s run game and defense should be too much for Miami.
My model has the Bulls as 12.5-point favorites in this one. I would say it's best to lay the points.
Pick: Buffalo -9.5 (up to -10). Live betting should present to -10 or better in the first half.
