The Ohio Bobcats are in first place in the MAC East, but now must overcome some adversity. Starting QB Greg Windham injured his leg in Ohio’s win over Toledo last week and now the Bobcats are going to have to rally around freshman QB Quinton Maxwell for the rest of the season. Maxwell isn’t an inexperienced freshman though, having played the better part of four games this season and HC Frank Solich has faith in the youngster. In College Football Week 10 action, Maxwell and the Bobcats will host the Buffalo Bulls.
Kickoff for this Week 10 game is set for Thursday, November 3, 2016, at 6 p.m. ET at Peden Stadium. This game will be broadcast on CBSS.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Buffalo +19.5
Ohio -19.5
Odds Analysis
The Bulls got their second win of the season last Thursday when they knocked off Akron as a 19.5-point underdog. It was Buffalo’s second outright win of the season as an underdog and moved the Bulls to 3-5 ATS on the year. Total bettors looking for an angle should take note that Buffalo has played three straight under games and the under is 6-2 in Bulls games on the season.
Ohio has covered two in a row now, but the best angle with the Bobcats has been to bet the under. Eight straight Bobcats’ games have gone under the total at this point thanks to their stingy defense and possession-based offense.
Key Stat
Solich’s Bobcats run the ball as much as any team in the country. Ohio is averaging 42.5 carries a game and although there aren’t a lot of big runs, the Bobcats are able to consistently churn out first downs on the ground. The Bobcats longest run of the year is 60 yards, but their top five rushers are averaging at least 4.5 yards per carry.
That ground game was on display against Toledo last week. Dorian Brown had a massive game carrying the ball 29 times for 212 yards and a score and the Bobcats averaged 5.6 yards a pop on the ground.
Ohio must be happy when it looks at Buffalo’s front seven. The Bulls are giving up 5.15 yards per rushing attempt and have allowed 22 rushing touchdowns this season.
Matchup to Watch
Buffalo has had one of the worst offenses in the nation this year and the Bulls are averaging just 18.1 PPG. The Bulls haven’t been able to consistently move the ball either through the air or on the ground and have picked up a scant 5.16 yards per play. They do have a decent running back in Jordan Johnson but he doesn’t have a lot of space to run in.
The Bulls may find some success in the passing game this time. Ohio’s secondary is extremely banged up with injuries to three different contributors and there might be holes that aren’t usually there. QB Tyree Jackson has to have a better game than he did against Akron though, when he completed just a third of his passes.
Free ATS Pick
Buffalo isn’t a good team. The Bulls have struggled to put points on the board this season and have laid eggs against mediocre competition. Last week against Akron was the first time that the Bulls cracked 23 points this year and they won’t do it this time either.
This is going to a boa constrictor game. Ohio is going to slowly build up a lead and then squeeze the life out of Buffalo little by little. The Bobcats aren’t a team that will blow out opponents and won’t blow out the Bulls either. Ohio’s largest margin of victory this season is 16 points and it’s tough to ask them to cover a large spread like this. It will be ugly and may not be worth watching, but Buffalo will score enough to get a cover.
College Football Odds: Bobcats 27, Bulls 17
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
