Buffalo vs Akron NCAA Football Picks and Tips

Saturday, October 19, 2019

InfoCision Stadium

Kyle Vantrease and the Buffalo Bulls are headed to InfoCision Stadium on Saturday where they'll take on the Akron Zips. The odds on this contest have Buffalo as 19-point favorites. The Bulls are 2-4-0 ATS and 3-3-0 when betting on the total. The Zips are 3-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 0-6-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Buffalo Bulls played the Ohio Bobcats and took the defeat by a score of 21-20. Running the show from under center for the Bulls was Kyle Vantrease who went 16/23 with 197 yards passing and added 2 TD's. He walked away with no picks. Kevin Marks led the team on the ground for the game. His longest run of the day went for 11 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He ran for a total of 112 yards by way of 22 carries which means he ran for an average of 5.1 yards per run. Jaret Patterson was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 60 yards on 2 receptions. He had an average of 30.0 yards per catch for the game. The Bulls ended up running the ball 43 times and generated 181 yards which had them averaging 4.2 yards per attempt. For the game, the Bulls got 19 1st downs and they had 4 penalties for 30 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In the game, they ran 66 plays which added up to 378 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Buffalo gave up 12 completions on 19 tries totaling 155 yards, and a completion percentage of 63.2%. Against the run, the Bulls gave up 186 yards on 47 runs which gave them an average of 4.0 yards per carry allowed. In the game, they conceded a total of 341 yards and forced 2 takeaways.

The Bulls come into this matchup with a record of 2-4 in 2019. For total yards, they are currently ranked 7th in the Mid-American Conference and 95th in Division 1 with 2,211 yards. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 24.3 points per game, putting them 96th in Division 1. As a unit, they are averaging 230.3 yards on the ground per game which is 2nd in the conference. The Bulls have one of the average defenses in the nation, giving up 27.8 points per contest which has them at 3rd in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Bulls have conceded 829 yards. Opponents are completing 61.1% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.3 yards per try. When talking about rushing yards, Buffalo is allowing 111.2 yards per contest which has them at 2nd in the MAC and 26th in the nation. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3 yards per carry ranking them 1st in the MAC and 21st in Division 1 overall. Overall, they have allowed 667 yards rushing through 6 games.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

The last time they took the field, the Akron Zips played the Kent State Golden Flashes and lost 26-3. Leading the way at QB for the Zips was Kato Nelson who went 17/28 with 202 yards through the air but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Kato Nelson paced the team on the ground for that contest. He tore off a long run of 17 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He racked up a total of 64 yards on 14 carries which meant he was running for 4.6 yards per carry. Nate Stewart led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 71 yards on 4 catches. He notched an average of 17.8 yards per catch for that contest. The Zips ran the ball a total of 32 times and earned 95 yards giving them an average of 3.0 yards per carry. On the day, the Zips had a total of 18 first downs and they had 11 infractions for 89 yards which shows us that this team didn't have their heads in this game. In the game, they ran 61 plays which gave them a total of 297 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Akron allowed 16 catches on 21 attempts for a total of 149 yards, and a completion percentage of 76.2%. In the running game, the Zips allowed 233 yards on 48 carries which gave them an average of 4.9 yards per attempt allowed. For this contest, they gave up 382 yards but finished the game without a turnover.

Related: Get college football tips & picks on all of today's games

The Zips step onto the field holding a record of 0-6. Akron needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 58.3 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 131st in Division 1. As a team, they have compiled a total of 350 rushing yards through 6 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Zips average 309.8 yards per game overall which has them at 122nd in the nation and 11th in the Mid-American Conference. The Zips are giving up 36 points per game ranking them 11th in the conference and 119th in Division 1. Their passing defense is one of the mediocre groups in the country. They are allowing 239 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Zips are currently ranked 5th in the Mid-American Conference. In discussing points allowed, they have given up 216 points in total. In regard to yards rushing, they are conceding 200.3 yards per game ranking them 105th in Division 1 and 9th in the MAC. This season, they have allowed a total of 1,202 rushing yards and 10.2 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Bulls/Zips college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Bulls -19

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald