This one’s for all the marbles — a chance at history.
Kent State hopes to avoid creating any, as the Golden Flashes (0-11, 0-7 MAC) seek their first win of the season. A loss would make Kent State the first winless team in a non-COVID season since Akron in 2019.
Looking to avoid gifting the Golden Flashes their first win is Buffalo.
While out of conference contention, the Bulls (7-4, 5-2) have more than doubled their win total from 2023 with new head coach Pete Lembo and have a chance at their first 8-win season since 2019.
Buffalo enters as a -21.5 favorite with an over/under of 49. An outright win may be out of the question for Kent State, but can it hang within 3 touchdowns?
Let's dive into my Kent State vs. Buffalo predictions and college football picks for Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Kent State vs Buffalo Prediction
- Kent State vs. Buffalo Pick: Buffalo -21.5
My Buffalo vs. Kent State bet is on the Bulls to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Kent State vs Buffalo Odds
| Kent State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+21.5 -110 | 49 -110 / -110 | +950 |
| Buffalo Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-21.5 -110 | 49 -110 / -110 | -1700 |
- Kent State vs Buffalo Spread: Kent State +21.5 (-110) · Buffalo -21.5 (-110)
- Kent State vs Buffalo Over/Under: 49
- Kent State vs Buffalo Moneyline: Kent State +950 · Buffalo -1700
Kent State vs Buffalo Preview
Kent State Golden Flashes Betting Preview: Abject Disaster
Tonight’s game perfectly marks 14 calendar months since Kent State last recorded a win. And while a 20-game losing streak is bad enough, the fashion in which Kent State has arrived at that number makes it even worse.
Offensively, the Golden Flashes are just about the worst FBS team in every metric. Kent State ranks second-to-last nationally in both scoring and rushing offense, and the Golden Flashes also rank 133rd in Pass Success Rate.
Among qualified MAC passers, Tommy Ulatowski ranks last with 140.3 yards passing per game, and it’s not due to Ulatowski being a dual-threat. The quarterback has -29 rush yards on the season behind an offensive line that's bottom-10 nationally in both tackles for loss allowed (84) and sacks allowed (37).
Kent State has scored just three times on the ground this year — tied for the worst in the FBS — and has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game on just two occasions.
It’s been just as much of a nightmare on defense.
The Golden Flashes have allowed at least 34 points in nine of their 11 games, contributing to their FBS-worst 44.2 points allowed per game — more than a field goal worse than the next closest team.
Last week against Akron, Kent allowed 527 yards, the fifth time this season an opposing offense has gained that many yards.
Buffalo Bulls Betting Preview: Hitting Their Stride
Head across Pennsylvania and up New York state, and you’ll find life is much better for a recharged Buffalo program.
A year after a three-win season and a coach firing, the Bulls are back in the top half of the MAC and headed to their fifth bowl game in seven years.
They have reeled off three straight wins thanks to an offense that has really hit its stride as the season has worn on. Buffalo scored 37 points last week against Eastern Michigan, marking the fourth time in its last five outings that UB has scored at least that many points.
Buffalo operates a fairly balanced offense that slightly favors the run. But despite the recent scoring output, the Bulls have been far from efficient, ranking outside the top 100 in both Rush Success Rate and Pass Success Rate.
C.J. Ogbonna leads the way at quarterback with an impressive 16:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while Al-Jay Henderson paces the run game with seven rushing scores and an average north of 5.0 yards per carry.
Buffalo fares a little better on defense, particularly at the line of scrimmage where the Bulls rank 50th in Havoc and 78th in Line Yards Allowed. Buffalo’s 69 tackles for loss are the fourth-most in the conference.
Kent State vs Buffalo Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Kent State and Buffalo match up statistically:
Kent State Offense vs. Buffalo Defense
 | Offense |  Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 134 | 81 | |
| Line Yards | 126 | 78 | |
| Pass Success | 133 | 102 | |
| Havoc | 133 | 50 | |
| Finishing Drives | 129 | 78 | |
| Quality Drives | 134 | 87 | |
Buffalo Offense vs. Kent State Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 115 | 126 | |
| Line Yards | 112 | 133 | |
| Pass Success | 105 | 126 | |
| Havoc | 72 | 132 | |
| Finishing Drives | 45 | 114 | |
| Quality Drives | 114 | 134 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 117 | 26 |
| PFF Coverage | 128 | 12 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 124 | 60 |
| Middle 8 | 133 | 75 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.1 (96) | 25.2 (30) |
| Rush Rate | 56% (79) | 58% (36) |
Kent State vs Buffalo Pick & Prediction
When you’ve lost 20 straight games and have just one game remaining on the calendar, how much fight can there possibly be left?
Kent State has lost its last five games by an average margin of 28.2 points, while Buffalo has had its four highest-scoring outputs in its last five games.
Couple the recent trends with this being the Bulls' final home game and Senior Night, and there's no way Buffalo even flirts with making this closer than it should be.
The Golden Flashes are ready to pack it up for the year. Get this number while you can, and have some extra spending money before you even think about putting the turkey in the oven.
Pick: Buffalo -21.5
Kent State vs Buffalo Start Time, TV Channel, Location, How to Watch
| Location: | UB Stadium, Buffalo, NY |
| Date: | Tuesday, Nov. 26 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ESPN+ |
Kent State hits the road on Tuesday, Nov. 26 to take on Buffalo at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Kent State vs Buffalo Betting Trends
Kent State vs Buffalo Weather
