College sports are broken up into a number of different conferences, and you don’t need to be a big fan of the collegiate sports world to understand that some of those conferences are bigger and better than others. In college basketball, the ACC is probably the top dog right now, which is why the teams that play there tend to get a lot of the press. With that in mind, fans and bettors tend to focus on the ACC and the other bigger conferences in the sport, which often means that smaller schools are often overlooked.
One of the smaller conferences that do not get a lot of attention is the MAC, but there is a team in there that is doing some great stuff this season. We are talking about the Buffalo Bulls, a team that has only dropped a single game this season on their way to the #16 ranking. They will be looking to maintain that great record and continue their climb up the rankings when they host the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Friday night. The Bulls are in as a 16-point favorite, with the point total set at 148.
Eastern Michigan at Buffalo NCAA Basketball Odds & Game Info
The Bulls jump up three spots in the latest @AP_Top25 Poll.
UB checks in at #⃣1⃣6⃣ 10th straight week in the polls for the Bulls, the second longest by a @MACSports team in league history#UBhornsUP | #UBLegendary pic.twitter.com/FQTQNbBLhi — UB Men’s Basketball (@UBmenshoops) 14 de enero de 2019
- When: Friday, January 18 at 7 PM EST
- Where: Alumni Arena, Buffalo
- TV: ESPNU
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- NCAAB Betting Odds: Buffalo Bulls -16 (Total 147.5)
Why bet on the Eastern Michigan Eagles?
The Eastern Michigan Eagles come into this MAC match-up sitting a game below .500 with an 8-9 record, which includes being 2-2 SU in conference play. That is good enough to keep them within a game of the leaders in the MAC West division, but unless they can find a way to start winning on a more regular basis, that gap is going to start getting larger with each passing week.
There doesn’t seem to be much here to suggest that the Eagles can go into Buffalo and spring the major upset, as they have just 1 win there in their last 8 visits. They were also just 1-7 ATS in those 8 trips to Buffalo. This will be the 4th time that the Eagles have faced a ranked opponent this season, going 0-3 SU in previous meetings.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 70.82
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.31
- Three-Point Percentage: 29.39
- Free Throw Percentage: 63.27
- Total Rebounds: 38.53
Defense
- Total Score: 70.00
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.58
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.75
- Free Throw Percentage: 60.69
- Total Rebounds: 34.29
Why bet on the Buffalo Bulls?
The Bulls are coming into this one with a stellar 16-1 record, with that lone loss on the season coming against a ranked Marquette team. Since then, Eastern Michigan has bounced back nicely to win 5 games in a row and are coming into this one with a perfect record in MAC Conference play.
With an average of over 85 PPG this season, this is a team that can certainly take advantage of lesser opposition, which they certainly did in a 74-58 win over Eastern Michigan when they met earlier this season. The Bulls started that one as an 11-point favorite, handily covering the spread. As a favorite this season, the Bulls have gone a very respectable 9-3-1 ATS, which includes being 4-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 85.59
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.42
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.58
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.71
- Total Rebounds: 40.29
Defense
- Total Score: 69.94
- Field Goal Percentage: 41.32
- Three-Point Percentage: 32.32
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.19
- Total Rebounds: 37.35
Eastern Michigan at Buffalo NCAA Basketball Betting Trends
- Eastern Michigan is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
- Eastern Michigan is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Eastern Michigan’s last 5 games on the road
- Buffalo is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Eastern Michigan
- Buffalo is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Eastern Michigan
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo’s last 5 games when playing Eastern Michigan
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Eastern Michigan at Buffalo
I don’t think there is any doubt that the Bulls will win this one, but the question is whether they can cover what is quite a large spread. I think they get there on the way to a comfortable win.
Score: Eastern Michigan Eagles 64 – Buffalo Bulls 82
