Getty CJ Massinburg #5 of the Buffalo Bulls handles the ball against Frank Howard #23 of the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the Carrier Dome on December 18, 2018 in Syracuse, New York.
The Miami (Ohio) Redhawks try to improve their conference seeding position when they host the No. 21 Buffalo Bulls in an exciting MAC game. Miami (Ohio) is tied with Akron and Eastern Michigan for sixth place in the conference while Buffalo can secure the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament with another win.
Friday, March 1 at 10:00 PM ET
Millett Hall
Coverage: CBS Sports Network
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by BetOnline
- Buffalo Bulls (-8.5 at -110) vs. Miami (Ohio) RedHawks
- Over/Under: 155.5
Recent Takeaways
Buffalo has a two-game lead over Bowling Green for the best record in the MAC East Division and in the MAC and they’ve won their last six games after pulling away late in Tuesday’s home 77-64 victory against Akron. The Bulls, who outscored the Zips 15-2 in the last four minutes (eight points from CJ Massinburg ), were led by 25 points from Nick Perkins and 23 points from Massinburg.
Miami (Ohio) has alternated wins and losses over the last nine games (5-4), including last Tuesday’s 82-69 road victory against Bowling Green. Nike Sibande made just 6 of 18 shots but he still led four players in double-figures with 20 points. Dalonte Brown finished with 15 points and they limited Bowling Green to just 8-for-28 from beyond the arc (28.6 percent).
Great message for our young men postgame from @JimKelly1212
Buffalo vs. Miami (Ohio) Trends and Prediction
The Buffalo Bulls are:
- 3-0-1 ATS in their last four road games following three or more consecutive home games
- 8-3 ATS in their last 11 Friday games
- 19-9-1 ATS in their last 29 games following a straight up win
The Miami (Ohio) RedHawks are:
- 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home games against a team with a road winning percentage above .600
- 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven home games against a team with a winning road record
These two teams met on January 12 and Buffalo prevailed 88-64, overcoming a cold shooting start to outscore Miami (Ohio) 52-32 in the second half. The Bulls made just 41.5 percent of their shots, including 30.0 percent of their 3-pointers but their defense was incredible, forcing 18 turnovers. Jeremy Harris (17 points) was one of four Buffalo players in double-figures while Nike Sibande had 18 points for Miami (Ohio).
Team rankings based on adjusted tempo according to KenPom:
Buffalo – 7th (74.4 possessions per 40 minutes)
Miami (Ohio) – 278th (65.8 possessions per 40 minutes)
Buffalo is an athletic team that loves to run, they rank 7th in the country in pace, averaging 74.4 possessions per 40 minutes and 22nd in offensive efficiency, averaging 114.6 points per 100 possessions and they’ve scored over 90 points four times.
Miami (Ohio) is the complete opposite, they like to slow the pace of the game, averaging just 65.8 possessions per 40 minutes and they rank 122nd in offensive efficiency with 106.7 points per 100 possessions.
Controlling the pace and taking care of the ball can make a difference in this game. Buffalo is fantastic at forcing turnovers, they rank 19th in the country in opponents’ turnovers at 16 per game and they average 7.2 steals per game and Miami (Ohio) turned the ball over 18 times in their first meeting. Miami (Ohio) plays well at home but Buffalo is just too talented and deep for them.
Pick: Buffalo -8.5
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