The Utah State Aggies (7-5) and Kent State Golden Flashes (6-6) will do battle in Friday’s Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl with kick off set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
We analyze the Utah State-Kent State odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.
Utah State vs. Kent State: Three things you need to know
- Kent State had to win each of its last three regular-season games to become bowl eligible. The Golden Flashes did just that, winning each by one score and finishing 6-6. The KSU offense hit its stride over the final stretch: the Flashes logged a 6.5 yards per play figure over four November games.
- Utah State also registered its best month on offense in November, posting 6.3 YPP. Both teams exhibit some run/pass balance, but the Aggies’ passing game (276 yards per game – 32nd in FBS) is the best unit in this matchup. The USU passing game will be up against a KSU defense which was quite good against the pass in four games from late-October to late-November. In only one of those games did the Flashes face a top-90 pass offense, and the quartet of games was bracketed by yielding 342 passing yards to Ohio Oct. 19 and 386 yards to Eastern Michigan Nov. 29.
- The Aggies own the postseason experience factor in this one. The USU program is playing in a bowl game for a third straight year; Kent State hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2012.
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Utah State vs. Kent State: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Utah State 38, Kent State 31
Moneyline (ML)
The analytics and idea of game flow are muddy in this one. The Aggies figure as a 5-to-9-point favorite. PASS on Utah State (-239).
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Aggies returns a profit of $4.18.
Against the Spread (ATS)
The line here is deflated and tilted to draw some underdog bettors. Again, USU is a worthy favorite but a PASS on Utah State (-5.5, -121) is the right call. Save your ammo; there are a couple bowls … or 35 … still to be played.
Over/Under (O/U)
A back-and-forth contest should be on the offing docket Friday. Both offenses look to be at their best of late. Watch the line on the OVER 65.5 (-134). We’re looking for a price under -125.
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