Bahamas Bowl Prediction
It’s officially bowl season! The first bowl game of the 2019-20 season kicks off today at 2PM ET when Buffalo faces Charlotte in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.
Game Snapshot & Odds
Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl
201 Buffalo vs. 202 Charlotte
Friday, December 20, 2019
2PM ET – Thomas Robinson Stadium
TV: ESPN
Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new NCAAF Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, Buffalo is favored in this game, as the Bulls are getting odds of -6.5 points against Charlotte. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 51 points. The public betting currently has 76 percent going on Buffalo as the favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Charlotte comes in hot
Charlotte is riding a five-game winning streak coming into this bowl game. The 49ers started 0-3 in Conference USA, but won five straight to get into the bowl mix. Charlotte was 7-5 on the season, 6-6 against the spread and 8-4 with the over.
The 49ers have a high-powered offense, but the defense has struggled to keep points off the board. Charlotte is putting up 31.6 points and 423 yards per game on offense thanks to a balanced attack. Defensively, the 49ers are giving up 32.5 points and 389.2 yards per contest. Chris Reynolds is leading the team with 2,366 passing yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 757 yards and six scores. Benny LeMay is the leading rusher with 1,027 yards and nine touchdowns. Victor Tucker is the leading receiver with 49 catches for 848 yards and six scores. The defense is led by Alex Highsmith, who has 68 tackles and 14 sacks.
Bulls covering
Buffalo wasn’t in the MAC Championship, but the Bulls won five of their last six games to end the regular season while covering in six of their last seven. The Bulls also have hit the over in five straight. Buffalo was 7-5 on the season, 7-5 against the spread and 8-4 with the over.
The Bulls have been led by their defense, which is giving up just 22.3 points and 293.1 yards per game. They are holding opponents under 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards per game. Taylor Riggins is leading the defense with 42 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Offensively, Buffalo is putting up 31.5 points and 397.4 yards per game. They are led by their strong run game, which puts up 254.3 yards per contest. Jaret Patterson is leading the way with 1,626 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, while Kevin Marks has 1,008 yards and eight scores on the ground. Kyle Vantrease has thrown for 1,116 yards and seven touchdowns at QB.
College Football Betting Trends
Charlotte
The 49ers are 5-13 against the spread in their last 18 nonconference games and 2-5 ATS in their last seven against a winning team.
Buffalo
The Bulls are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as a favorite and 5-2 ATS in their last seven against CUSA opponents.
Prediction:
This is a meeting between two new opponents and I like Buffalo as the favorite here. The Bulls have a solid rushing attack that should provide problems for the Charlotte defense, which gives up close to 200 rushing yards per game. Buffalo also has a strong defense and I don’t think Charlotte is going to show it anything it hasn’t seen in MAC play. Bowl games are tough to call at times due to motivation of teams varying, but I think Buffalo will come out strong and cover in this game.
Bahamas Bowl Prediction: Buffalo -6.5
Related: Bahamas Bowl Total Prediction