College Football Betting Odds - Buffalo Bulls at Miami of Ohio

Wednesday, November 18 - 6 PM ET

BetUS NCAA Odds: BUFFALO -3

Miami has not been able to run the football, averaging just 2.4 yards a carry as a team and ranking 119th (next to last) nationally. That's why Zac Dysert, the freshman quarterback, has had to throw the ball so much. He wasn't even inserted into the starting lineup until the fourth game of the year, but Dysert has thrown the ball 364 times, and completed 30 passes or more on four different occasions.

Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

• BUFF has lost seven of its last nine games SU
• BUFF has covered 11 of its last 14 road games
• BUFF has lost four of its last five road games SU
• BUFF has played 7 of 9 road games OVER the total
• MIA-O has covered five of its last seven games
• MIA-O has lost 15 of its last 16 games SU
• MIA-O has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total
• MIA-O has lost eight of its last nine home games SU
• MIA-O has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total

Also...

• BUFF has covered four of the last five meetings
• MIA-O has won nine of the last ten meetings SU
• MIA-O has won the last five meetings SU as the home team
  

In the games he's started, Miami is 5-3 against the number in the NCAA betting odds, and has been very competitive against the likes of Toledo (31-24 win), Northern Illinois (27-22 defeat) and Temple (34-32 loss).

There is a flip side to what Dysert produces, of course, as he has tossed 15 interceptions, which includes five games with more than one pickoff. It is no coincidence that in the aforementioned three-game stretch where Miami did best, he threw only one interception. Buffalo's defense has not been particularly opportunistic, with just six interceptions on the season.

Buffalo has been snake-bitten, losing consecutive games to Western Michigan, Bowling Green and Ohio by a total of seven points. In that game against Ohio, quarterback Zach Maynard, who was suspended for the first quarter last week for violating team rules, was just 17 of 36 and was intercepted twice, and since Buffalo's running backs were a little banged up, it was hard for the Bulls to generate a balance in the offense.

They ought to have an easier time running against the Redhawks, who have allowed 4.7 yards a carry. There is some help on the way. Ike Nduka, who ran for 172 yards against Western Michigan in the last full game he played, is going to be available for this contest after sitting out last Tuesday's game with an ankle injury.

With only 12 takeaways, Miami generally does not have the ability to turn things around dramatically with a game-changing defensive play. As long as Maynard can make some connections with the best player on the field, wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt (eight catches for 165 yards last week), the Bulls should be able to fully exploit their fundamental advantages. We're going to lay the points with Buffalo, the three-point favorite.

JAY'S PLAY: BUFFALO -3 ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)