The Ball State Cardinals (5-1, 5-1 MAC) and the Buffalo Bulls (5-0, 5-0) meet Friday for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Ford Field in Detroit for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship Game. Below, we analyze the Ball State-Buffalo college football betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Ball State vs. Buffalo: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:15 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Ball State +370 (bet $100 to win $370) | Buffalo -500 (bet $500 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Ball State +13.5 (-110) | Buffalo -13.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 67.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Ball State vs. Buffalo: Three things to know
- The Cardinals of Ball State opened the season with a 38-31 loss at Miami-Ohio, but they rattled off five consecutive victories to win the West Division of the MAC. They also opened the season 0-3 ATS but covered in each of their final three outings.
- The Bulls ran through the East Division, posting 42 or more points in each of their five contests, including a 70-point effort against Kent State (Nov. 28). RB Jaret Patterson registered a ridiculous 409 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in that game, and he broke Ricky Williams’ two-game record with 710 rushing yards.
- Buffalo and Ball State played for the conference crown back in 2008. The Cardinals were favored by 15 in that game, but the Bulls ran away with a 42-24 victory. It was Ball State’s only other appearance in the MAC title game. Buffalo lost to Northern Illinois in the 2018 championship game, and its only title in two appearances came in that ’08 game vs. Ball State.
Get some action on this game or any other matchup with a legal, online bet at BetMGM in CO, IN, NJ, TN and WV. Risk-free first bet up to $500, paid in free bets. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Ball State vs. Buffalo: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Buffalo 41, Ball State 31
Money line (ML)
Buffalo (-500) will cost you five times your potential return, and that’s risky business in a championship game. Ball State (+370) has a strong offense, and this will be anything but a pushover for the Bulls.
PASS.
Against the spread (ATS)
BALL STATE +13.5 (-110) is the play in this MAC battle, as the underdog generally shows up and keeps it close in Motown. The underdog has covered in four straight MAC Championship Games, nine of the past 12, and 15 of the past 22. That includes Buffalo’s win in 2008 over Ball State. The Cardinals also streak in on a 3-0 cover run.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 67.5 (-110) is the play. Ball State has gone for 27 or more points in each of its six games to date, and Buffalo has hit the Over in four of five while posting 42 or more points in each contest.
The Bulls averaged 344.2 rushing yards per game to rank first in the nation, and they also topped the charts with 51.8 points per game. The scoreboard operator at Ford Field isn’t used to putting a lot of points on the board for games of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, but they better be ready for plenty of points here.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]