Ohio Bobcats vs. Kent State Golden Flashes
Saturday, 8/30/14, 6:00 p.m. ET
Opening Point Spread: Kent State -1.5
Current Betting Line: Kent State -1.5
Opening Total: N/A
Current Total: N/A
Odds Courtesy of 5Dimes
Ohio’s 62 wins since 2006 are the second most victories of any school in the Mid-American Conference during that period, which is important to consider when making your NCAA football picks. The Bobcats welcome back 12 overall starters for Frank Solich’s 10th year on campus, with eight of those players being on the defensive side of the football. Sophomore defensive lineman Tarell Basham is the main player to watch after tallying a team-high 7.5 sacks as a true freshman last year. Ohio is 1-5 ATS in its last six overall contests.
The Bobcats main question mark entering the 2014 season is the quarterback position, with Tyler Tettleton leaving campus after setting 27 school records. Ohio will also need to replace its top two options out of the backfield, which can’t be ignored when looking over the NCAA football odds page. The program last opened a season versus a MAC opponent back in 2001, while it has won five of its last eight road openers.
Kent State has won four of the last five meetings in this series, with the UNDER cashing in four of those affairs. The Golden Flashes have a great chance of improving upon their 11-2 SU record in home openers the last 13 years, as second-year head coach Paul Haynes welcomes back 14 total starters. College football experts may discount this group offensively due to the loss of running back Dri Archer, but he missed a lot of the action in 2013, which allowed Traylor Durham to finish with 766 yards on the ground. Kent State is 0-5-1 ATS in its last six home games.
The Golden Flashes aren’t very talented on the defensive end, which could allow an inexperienced Bobcats’ group to move the football in this matchup. Kent State were outscored by an average of 6.1 points a season ago, with their stop unit allowing an average of 410 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Brian George is definitely on a bit of a hot seat entering his fourth year at that position, especially with Haynes being a former player at the program.
Sports bettors will likely play the total, as the UNDER is 5-1 in the last six overall meetings in this rivalry.
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