College Football Betting News and Notes Wednesday, November 12

NCAAF Week 12

Ball State had Iowa beat on Sept 6, but allowed two TDs in last 4:00 and lost 17-13, a bitter loss; they lost six of last eight games, but scored 32+ points in three of last four games. Cardinals are 3-1 as road dogs, with an upset win at Central Michigan, losses by 4-11-9 points. UMass is 2-7 but covered seven of last eight games- they scored 35+ points in each of last five games, covered only chance when favored. These teams have never met as MAC foes. MAC home favorites are 6-14 vs spread.

Kent State won three of last four games with Bowling Green; underdogs are 7-3 vs spread in last ten series games. Kent won 31-24/30-6 in their last two visits here; Falcons threw for 355+ yards in last three games in series. Falcons won four of last five games but are 0-4 vs spread as fave this year, 0-2 at home- they allowed 42+ points in four of their first five games, but just 16.3 ppg in last three. Golden Flashes are 1-8, 1-3 when a road underdog, losing their MAC road games 17-14/10-3.

Armadillosports.com

Wednesday College Football Betting Preview
By Covers.com

Ball State Cardinals at Massachusetts Minutemen (-3.5, 61)

The Ball State Cardinals look to bounce back from one of their sloppiest games of the season as they prepare to visit the Massachusetts Minutemen in a Mid-American Conference showdown Wednesday night. Ball State committed five turnovers last week en route to a 35-21 defeat against visiting Northern Illinois that put the brakes on a two-game winning streak. Massachusetts also had a two-game winning streak ended with a 42-35 loss in Toledo.

The Minutemen looked like they had been gaining momentum - outscoring Kent State and Eastern Michigan 76-31 to erase a season-opening six-game losing skid - but ran into a powerhouse Rockets team that piled up 520 total yards, including 295 on the ground. Blake Frohnapfel did his part to keep the Minutemen in the game, passing for 438 yards and five touchdowns in defeat. Ball State has allowed 20 or more points in seven consecutive games.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-40s with a 10 percent chance of rain and wind blowing to the southwest at 7 mph.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Ball State and Massachusetts are both bad football teams. The Cardinals are 3-6 while the Minutemen are 2-7. However, UMass has been a spread beater this season, going 7-2 ATS, including a perfect 5-0 ATS their last five games. But UMass has only been favored in one game this season (40-17 win as 3-point favorites over Kent State) while being a double-digit underdog in five games this season." - Covers Expert Steve Merrill.

ABOUT BALL STATE (3-6 SU, 4-5 ATS, 3-6 O/U): The Cardinals are led by running back Jahwan Edwards, who racked up 92 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries against Northern Illinois and has reached the end zone seven times in his last five games. His continued excellence has helped overshadow a dreadful effort from quarterback Jack Milas, who has thrown for just 597 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in his last three games. Milas is expected to remain the starter ahead of Ozzie Mann.

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (2-7 SU, 7-2 ATS, 6-2-1 O/U): Frohnapfel has looked sensational over his past five games, throwing for more than 330 yards four times in that stretch while racking up 17 touchdown passes against six interceptions. Tajae Sharpe (63 receptions, 965 yards, five touchdowns) has been his target of choise, while Jean Sifrin (33 catches, 544 yards, five TDs) and Rodney Mills (26 catches, 368 yards, five TDs) have also been in the mix. The Minutemen average just 3.3 yards per carry and have only 12 rushing touchdowns on the season.

TRENDS:

* Ball State is 6-0 ATS in its last six road games against teams with losing road records.
* Massachusetts is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games on fieldturf.
* Over is 7-2 in the Cardinals' last nine games following a double-digit home loss.
* Over is 6-1-1 in the Minutemen's last eight games.

Kent State Golden Flashes at Bowling Green Falcons (-13, 52.5)

The Kent State Golden Flashes don't have much left to play for - but they can make life difficult for at least one East Division contender as they tangle with the host Bowling Green Falcons in a Mid-American Conference showdown Wednesday night. Kent State is coming off back-to-back losses to Miami (Ohio) and Toledo, and is in danger of going winless in MAC competition. The Falcons lead the East and can clinch a spot in the MAC title game with a win.

The secret to Bowling Green's success so far this season has been the emergence of James Knapke as one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. Knapke has racked up 2,128 yards through the air and, while he struggled to get much going against Akron, he did manufacture a pivotal 10-yard scoring pass to Roger Lewis in the third quarter of the win. Kent State surrendered 422 total yards while committing three turnovers in last week's loss to Toledo.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-30s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing to the east at 10 mph.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Kent State is a terrible team as they are just 1-8 on the season, including 0-4 on the road. The Golden Flashes’ offense is especially bad as they’ve scored 20 points or less in eight of their nine games this season. Bowling Green is 6-3 on the season, but they have a poor defense that is allowing 33.6 points per game on 6.1 yards per play (versus opponents averaging 27.7 ppg on 5.7 yppl)." - Covers Expert Steve Merrill.

ABOUT KENT STATE (1-8 SU, 3-6 ATS, 3-5-1 O/U): It looked as if Golden Flashes quarterback Colin Reardon was starting to pull things together after he amassed 360 passing yards and three touchdowns in an Oct. 18 win over Army. But Reardon has struggled mightily in two games since, completing just 50 percent of his passes for a combined 297 yards and a pair of interceptions. Kent State's running game has been abysmal, averaging just 3.2 carries on 240 attempts with a paltry four touchdowns on the season.

ABOUT BOWLING GREEN (6-3 SU, 4-5 ATS, 4-5 O/U): Knapke will be looking to bounce back from a dismal showing in his previous home game, a 26-14 loss to Western Michigan in which he went 20-of-33 for 139 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception. The possible loss of running back Travis Greene will hurt, but the Falcons will almost certainly lean on Fred Copped and Andre Givens in his absence. The duo combined for 214 rushing yards and a score last week after Greene went down with an ankle injury.

TRENDS:

* Kent State is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 road games against teams with winning home records.
* Bowling Green is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 conference games.
* Under is 18-6 in the Falcons' last 24 home games against teams with losing road records.
* The Road team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings.

College Football Betting Previews
Atssportsline.com

The MAC returns to action on Wednesday night with more interesting matchups. While none of the four teams will threaten the College Football Playoffs, they should provide interesting betting opportunities. Check out the two MAC previews below.

Ball State (3-6 SU, 4-5 ATS, 3-6 O/U) at Massachusetts (2-7 SU, 7-2 ATS, 6-2-1 O/U)

Weather: Mostly cloudy. West wind 9-14. Gametime temperature: 51.

Intangibles

UMass has covered five straight games.
This is the first-ever matchup between these teams.
Ball State is allowing 193.3 yards per game on the ground; UMass is allowing 201 yards per game rushing.

Key College Trends

Ball State is
9-4 ATS last 13 following a bye week.
1-4 ATS last 5 in November.
5-0 ATS last 5 following a double-digit loss at home.

UMass is
5-0 ATS last 5 conference games.
1-4 ATS last 5 in November.
6-1-1 last 8 matchups on the over bet overall.

Outlook: Ball State had won two straight games before losing at home to Northern Illinois, 35-21 on Nov. 5. The big loss for Ball State was top cornerback Eric Patterson, who broke his arm. That leaves the Cardinals with just three young corners for a pass defense that had allowed just 209 yards per game in the air. That will put pressure on the offense to move the ball. Sophomore quarterback Jack Milas had not thrown an interception in his first three appearances before tossing three against Northern Illinois. He now has six passing touchdowns with 923 yards and has completed just 52.3 percent his passes. Running back Jahwan Edwards is having a big season with 920 yards rushing and nine scores. Wide receiver KeVonn Mabon leads with 48 catches for 536 yards, while Jordan Williams adds 41 for 531 yards and four TDs.

UMass has not played since Oct. 25, when they lost at Toledo, 42-35, but covered the 17.5. The Minutemen have played well, but have yet to beat a team of Ball State's caliber. This would be a big win for the program, that appears to be headed in the right direction. Quarterback Blake Frohnapfel leads the offense with 2,921 yards passing, 23 TDs and just eight picks. Accuracy has been an issue as he's completed just 54.3 percent of his passes. The running game lacks a star, but the passing game has one in Tajae Sharpe (63 for 965 yards, 5 TDs), one of the premier receivers in the MAC. The offense has to put up points because the defense allows a whopping 458.3 yards per game including 200.6 on the ground. College Football Odds: UMass is a 3.5-point betting odds favorite. Total: 60.5.

Kent State (1-8 SU, 3-6 ATS, 3-5-1 O/U) at Bowling Green (6-3 SU, 4-5 ATS, 4-5 O/U)

Last game: (9/7/13): Bowling Green (-6.5) over Kent State, 41-22.

Weather: Partly cloudy. West wind 8-13. Gametime temperature: 30. Wind chill: 21.

Intangibles

Bowling Green allows 527 yards per game, including 325.3 in the air.
Kent State rushes for just 85.1 yards per game.
Kent State has covered four of the last five in this series.

Key College Trends

Kent State is
4-10 ATS last 14 overall.
0-5-1 ATS last 6 following an ATS win.
3-8 ATS last 11 following a SU loss.
Underdog is 13-5 ATS last 18 in series.

Bowling Green is
15-6 ATS last 21 conference games.
20-6 ATS last 26 in November.
Home team is 4-9 ATS last 13 in series.

Outlook: Kent State is 0-4 on the road this season and 0-5 in the MAC as their only win this season took place against Army. They lost last week to Toledo at home, 30-20, covering the 14. The quarterback situation is complex for the Golden Flash. Colin Reardon is the better passer, having completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 1,884 yards with nine TDs and 11 picks. However, Nathan Strock rushed for 71 yards and passed for two TDs last week, leading a second half comeback. Reardon passed for 96 yards and a pick. But he averaged just 3.7 yards per pass attempt. Reardon is expected to start, but Strock might be more valuable because the running game has been irrelevant. Casey Pierce leads the Golden Flashes with 42 catches for 433 yards and four scores.

Bowling Green is coming off a 27-10 road win over Akron on Nov. 4. They've won four of their last five and six of eight. The lead the MAC East with a 4-1 conference record. The offense is the key, since the defense has many holes. They forced five turnovers against the Zips, which helped. Quarterback James Knapke struggled with a 17-of-34 effort for 170 yards. Knapke is completing 58.3 percent of his passes this year for 2,128 yards with 11 TDs and nine picks. Running back Travis Green leads the ground game with 644 yards and eight TDs. However, he has an ankle injury and is questionable to play. They do have good depth as Fred Coppet (479 yards, 5 TDs) and Andre Givens (258 yards, 6 TDs) are both talented backs. The receiving corps is very strong led by Roger Lewis (57 for 743 yards) and they also get 6-foot-3 receiver Gehrig Dieter back from an ankle/knee injury. College Football Lines: Bowling Green is a 13-point betting odds favorite. Total: 52.5.

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Kent looks for MAC upset
By Sportsbook.ag

KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES (1-8) at BOWLING GREEN FALCONS (6-3)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Bowling Green -13.5, Total: 52.5

Kent State attempts to pull off a big upset against Bowling Green, the top team in the MAC East, on Wednesday night.

It has been a rough go of things for the Golden Flashes this year with just one SU win coming against Army at home by a score of 39-17 as 3-point underdogs on Oct. 18. That was one of three games that they have covered on the season, as they are only 3-6 ATS overall, but have covered in three of the past five contests. That includes a cover in their 30-20 loss against Toledo last week as they were big 13-point underdogs at home but could not overcome an early 23-0 deficit behind three turnovers. Kent State did do well on the ground though, with 171 yards on just 19 rushing attempts (9.0 YPC).

The Falcons have been the best team in their division with their one SU loss in conference coming against Western Michigan by a score of 26-14 on Oct. 18 as 3-point favorites. Overall on the season they are just 4-5 ATS and were able to cover the 3.5-points they were giving last week on the road against Akron as they secured a 27-10 victory. They were able to run all over the Zips with 219 yards on the ground (4.3 YPC) while forcing five turnovers in the win.

Bowling Green dominated with a 41-22 victory as 6.5-point favorites on the road last season in this matchup, but had lost the previous three meetings (both SU and ATS). In last year’s contest, they totaled 576 yards of total offense compared to the 302 by Kent State while the only turnover in the game was a fumble lost by the Golden Flashes.

Bettors should know that Kent State has gone 8-2 ATS (80%) as a road underdog of 10.5 to 14 points since 1992, while Bowling Green is 8-1 ATS (89%) after outrushing its opponent by 125 or more yards in the previous game in the past three seasons.

Some injuries to watch in this game include a thin offensive line for KSU with OLs Terrell Johnson (ankle, doubtful), Nathan Puthoff (knee, questionable) and Wayne Scott (stinger, probable) all banged up. LB Darius Redmond (concussion) is considered questionable for the Golden Flashes. The Falcons may also be without two key players in HB Travis Greene (ankle) and DL Zach Colvin (illness) who are both questionable for Wednesday.

Kent State’s offense has been putrid while putting up just 14.8 PPG (3rd-worst in FBS) behind a horrible rushing effort (85.1 YPG, 3rd-worst in nation) and 218.4 YPG from the passing game.

QB Colin Reardon (1,884 pass yards, 5.9 YPA, 9 TD, 11 INT) has thrown a pick in four consecutive games while failing to throw a touchdown pass in his past two performances. Due to Reardon's struggles, the Flashes will start freshman QB Nathan Strock (13-for-30, 82 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) in Wednesday's matchup. Strock showed his dual-threat abilities last week versus Toledo with 67 passing yards and 71 rushing yards on just five carries (14.2 YPC).

HB Nick Holley (400 rush yards, 1 TD) is the underwhelming top option in the ground game while gaining only 4.0 YPC, but had his best performance (95 rush yards, 1 TD) last week against Toledo. He helps out the passing game as well by grabbing 24 balls for 192 yards (8.0 avg) and a touchdown this year. Leading the KSU receivers is WR Casey Pierce (433 rec yards, 4 TD) who is averaging a low 10.3 yards per catch on a team-high 42 receptions, while WR Chris Humphrey (380 rec yards, 2 TD) has averaged 11.2 yards per catch on 34 grabs.

On the other side of the ball, the defense has allowed opponents to score 29.4 YPG against them despite the consistent efforts of DBs Nate Holley (110 tackles) and Jordan Italiano (76 tackles, 1 INT).

The Falcons bring to the table a balanced offense that has gained 276.1 YPG through the air (31st in nation) and 171.3 YPG from the rushing game while scoring a solid 32.9 PPG.

QB James Knapke (2,128 pass yards, 11 TD, 9 INT) had his first game without throwing an interception last week against Akron, but has been relied on heavily in his games while averaging 42 passing attempts per game in his eight starts. Unfortunately he has not been too productive while completing 58.3% of his throws for a weak 6.3 YPA. HB Travis Greene (644 yards, 8 TDs) is questionable for this contest and would sorely be missed if he can't suit up based on his triple-digit rushing yards three times this season while scoring a touchdown in six of his nine games.

If he is not able to go, HB Fred Coppet (479 rush yards, 5 TD) will get the start, and he has been productive as the backup while averaging 5.3 YPC and going for 113 yards on 18 attempts (6.3 YPC) after Greene injured his ankle last week. WR Roger Lewis (742 rec yards, 4 TD) has 100+ receiving yards four different times this season while both WRs Ronnie Moore (512 rec yards, 4 TD) and Ryan Burbrink (499 rec yards, 3 TD) have also been productive.

The Bowling Green defense has been subpar this season, giving up 33.6 PPG (24th-worst in FBS), but is doing much better in their past three games with only 16.3 PPG allowed. LB Gabe Martin (77 tackles, 1 INT, 9 TFL) and DB Nick Johnson (47 tackles, 4 INT) will be leaned on in this game to shut down the opposition and to force turnovers like the five takeaways the school had versus Akron last week.

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