Buffalo vs Kent State prediction and analysis

Buffalo vs Kent State: Game Overview

On September 13, 2025, at 12:00 PM EDT, the Buffalo Bulls (1-1) will face off against the Kent State Golden Flashes (1-1) in a Mid-American Conference matchup. Buffalo comes into this game having demonstrated a solid start this season, while Kent State is looking to overcome a troublesome home drought against conference opponents.

Key Factors and Trends

• Kent State’s Home Struggles: The Golden Flashes have dropped their last 10 MAC home games. This troubling trend raises questions about their ability to protect their home turf, even as a modest underdog.
• Buffalo’s Strong Performance Against Non-Ranked Teams: Buffalo has shown consistency by covering the spread in their last five games against teams outside the AP Top 25.
• Favorite vs Underdog Dynamics: The favorite team has won 25 of Kent State’s last 26 matchups, a statistic signaling that the stronger opponent usually prevails in these games.
• Covering the Spread Patterns: Kent State has struggled to cover the spread in six straight September games as an underdog, suggesting they have difficulty keeping games close early in the season.
• Buffalo on the Road in September: The Bulls have not covered the spread in their last three September road games as favorites against unranked teams, indicating some challenges when playing away early in the season.
• Home Team Recent Results: While Kent State has lost many home conference games, the home team has won their last three games at Kent State, signaling a possible boost for the Golden Flashes this week.

Prediction Summary

Buffalo’s steady start and historical dominance as the favorite set the tone for this contest. Despite playing on the road and some recent struggles in September as favorites, the Bulls benefit from Kent State’s pervasive issues with closing out home conference games and covering the spread. The Golden Flashes’ inability to make home games competitive as underdogs further tilts the scales toward Buffalo. However, the recent surge of home wins for Kent State warrants caution for bettors expecting an easy Buffalo cover.

This game is likely to lean in favor of Buffalo, but Kent State’s home advantage could keep things closer than the odds suggest. Expect a controlled offensive effort from Buffalo capitalizing on turnovers and mistakes, while Kent State will try to stay within reach through opportunistic plays.

Final Take: Buffalo should win convincingly, but the margin might be narrower than the 22.5-point spread. The over/under of 48.5 points suggests moderate scoring; both teams have defensive capabilities that could limit a shootout scenario.

Final Prediction

Buffalo -22 (win with a slightly smaller margin than the spread)