Kicking off Championship weekend for NCAA football on the college football schedule, we have a non-title game between Mid-American Conference foes Akron Zips and Buffalo Bulls. Continue reading below to get our best Akron Zips vs. Buffalo Bulls Odds, Betting Picks and much more.
Both NCAAF teams have struggled this season but will look to end 2022 on a positive note. Read along for Akron vs. Buffalo picks and predictions.
This game was postponed from November 19 because of the massive snowstorm that hit Buffalo, New York.
That same storm caused the Buffalo Bills to face the Cleveland Browns in Detroit that weekend. Of course, the MAC doesn’t have the same resources as the NFL to make that game happen on time.
Akron Zips vs. Buffalo Bulls Odds
Going into this final week of the 2022 regular season, the 5-6 Buffalo Bulls are currently a -13 point favorite in the spread. They are also the -550 moneyline betting favorite going into this Friday.
College football point spreads are much different than the NFL. These teams have a much bigger talent gap, which leads to bigger spreads.
The over/under has trended up a lot since opening lines, going from 44 to now being set at 57. Looks like oddsmakers are looking for some electric MACtion this Friday to close out the season.
Akron vs. Buffalo Betting Preview
Akron Zips
The Zips are 2-9 going into this week with a season they will want to forget in the Ohio town. Last week they beat Northern Illinois 44-12, which snapped their 9-game losing streak.
Akron is averaging only 21.7 points per game while giving up 34.5 points per game on defense.
Akron NCAAF Stats
That is a recipe for disaster when you see that difference in college football stats. They will rely heavily on their passing attack in this game against Buffalo.
Their quarterback, Jeff Undercuffler, threw for three touchdowns last week. His performance led the Zips to their elusive first MAC win this season.
They can ride that momentum in the passing game to finish this season strong. They are currently top 20 in the country in passing offense.
Buffalo Bulls
The Bulls have a much more talented roster than Akron this season. They have shown that their defensive backs are solid and can play good coverage in the MAC. The defense has only allowed 212.7 passing yards per game this season.
Bulls’ Offense
Offensively, Buffalo is much more balanced than Akron. They have averaged 154.1 rushing yards per game this season.
This game is a massive one for Buffalo because they are trying to get their 6th win, which would make them bowl-eligible.
Their season has been full of streaks. After starting 2022 with three losses, Buffalo came back to rattle off five conference wins in a row. After that streak, they fell back to their losing ways by dropping their last three games.
Akron vs. Buffalo Betting Picks
Akron vs. Buffalo picks are pretty easy to make this week if you look at both teams’ numbers and situations.
This is one of the worst college football matchups this weekend, with not a lot on the line compared to the other conference championships we will see. Neither of these teams has anything to do with the current NCAAF standings.
NCAAF Injuries
College football injuries aren’t impacting this game much; both teams have all their key players going into this matchup.
I think that this is Buffalo’s game to win. They are the better team all-around and have more to play for than Akron.
The key to this game will be if Buffalo can bring pressure on the defense to nullify the passing attack of Akron.
Akron has given up the most sacks in the MAC this season, but Buffalo has the second least amount of sacks on defense. This should be an easy win if Buffalo can get to the quarterback. The over 57 points is a lock as well.
Teams’ Defense Struggle
Both teams struggle defensively, and I think it will be a shootout in Buffalo. The winner of this game will be the one who turns the ball over more.
Take Buffalo to cover -13 this Friday. They will pull away in the 4th quarter when they realize they will be playing for much more than Akron. The Bulls will be ready to find a way to win more than Akron will.
NCAAF Pick: Buffalo -12 (-110)
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