The Buffalo Bulls take on the Kent State Golden Flashes in Kent, Ohio. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Buffalo is favored by -22.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2100. The total is set at 48.5 points.
Here’s my Buffalo vs. Kent State prediction and college football picks for Saturday, September 13, 2025.
Buffalo vs Kent State Prediction
- Buffalo vs. Kent State Pick: Buffalo -22.5
My Kent State vs. Buffalo best bet is on the Bulls spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Buffalo vs Kent State Odds
| Buffalo Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-22.5 -105 | 48.5 -108o / -112u | -2100 |
| Kent State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+22.5 -115 | 48.5 -108o / -112u | +1100 |
- Buffalo vs Kent State point spread: Buffalo -22.5
- Buffalo vs Kent State over/under: 48.5 points
- Buffalo vs Kent State moneyline: Buffalo -2100, Kent State +1100
Buffalo vs Kent State Pick, Betting Analysis
Billy Connelly's college football rankings places Kent State at 190th nationally, which means multiple Division II teams like Ferris State, Harding and Grand Valley State are above the Golden Flashes.
Even North Central out of Illinois — a Division III team — is only 16 spots behind Kent.
That gives you a feel of the neighborhood the Flashes are playing in right now.
Their offense isn't going to be able to run against Buffalo. They'll be lucky to get 40 rushing yards in this game, which shifts all of the pressure over to the two-quarterback system they're running.
The saying is, if you have two quarterbacks, you have zero quarterbacks, and they have Dru DeShields and CJ Montes.
I just don't see this coming together for these guys because it's all been boom or bust for the Flashes through the air. They haven't been efficient — at all.
Buffalo head coach Pete Lembo and his defensive coordinator Joe Bowen reflected on their nine-win campaign during the offseason, and the top thing that they needed to improve was limiting aerial explosives. They were far below average in that department last year.
However, they've really buttoned it up through two games thus far, as they're walking their safeties back. They're playing that two-high safety look and are basically looking to keep everything in front of them, allowing the run defense to take care of shutting down the box.
Then opposing offense have to be efficient, hitting those holes and using timing throws like slants in the RPO.
Unfortunately for Kent, that isn't its bread and butter. What it wants to do is be able to spark those 50-plus yard plays, and I don't see it stringing together 10-play scoring drives with any consistency in this game.
Offensively, Buffalo is able to fully unleash Ta'Quan Roberson. You saw it last week from a rushing perspective, and I think the Bulls are going to be able to do it again.
I think this will be a very similar game script to what it was at the end of last year when Buffalo beat Kent State 43-7. The running game did the dirty work there, and I think it's going to be the same formula.
Al-Jay Henderson will probably run for almost 175 yards on the ground, and I think Roberson is an upgrade as a runner over C.J. Ogbonna, who had 50-plus yards in 2024.
I'll say Buffalo 42-10 in a snoozer on the road to kick off its MAC season.
Pick: Buffalo -22.5
