The Kent State Golden Flashes (+35) will clash with the No. 8 Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. ESPN2 is scheduled to broadcast the action and the game gets going at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Auburn Tigers
Kent State is a big road underdog here and is currently receiving 35 points by oddsmakers. Oddsmakers have determined the over/under (O/U) to be 51.5 points, and if one side can get out in front early on, it would probably result in a nice in-game betting opportunity.
The game’s total has swung lower after opening at 52. The original line has yet to change.
The Golden Flashes have gained 1.0 unit so far in 2019 and are 1-1 against the spread (ATS). They’ve been a good under bet and have posted an O/U record of 0-2.
The Tigers have gained 2.0 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 2-0 ATS and also have an O/U record of 0-2.
The Golden Flashes are 1-1 straight up (SU) in 2019 while the Tigers are 2-0 SU.
The Golden Flashes enter after a 26-23 win over Kennesaw State last week where Dustin Crum completed 17 passes on 23 attempts for 192 yards and one touchdown. Jo-el Shaw (93 rushing yards on 17 attempts) and the signal-caller Crum (21 yards on 12 carries, one TD) mounted the ground attack. Isaiah McKoy (seven receptions, 125 yards, one TD) and Kavious Price (six catches, 33 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
The Auburn Tigers are coming off of a 24-6 win over Tulane. The defensive unit let the Green Wave rush for 120 yards on 30 attempts. Justin McMillan had a good showing in the loss for Tulane, accounting for 54 rushing yards on seven attempts. For Auburn, Bo Nix completed 19-of-37 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown. JaTarvious Whitlow (96 yards on 23 rush attempts, one TD) and Kam Martin (32 yards on 10 carries) mounted the running game as Eli Stove (seven receptions, 27 yards) and Will Hastings (five catches, 75 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Kent State has run the ball on 61.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Auburn has a rush percentage of 56.1 percent. The Golden Flashes have produced 132.5 rush yards per game and have one score on the ground this year. The Tigers are averaging 189 rush yards per game and have three total rushing TDs.
If the results so far this season are any indication, then it’s looking like the Tigers may own the advantage in all aspects of the ground game. Their running backs has produced 4.3 yards per carry while their defense has allowed a YPC of 3.3 to opponents. The Golden Flashes have registered 3.5 yards per carry while allowing a YPC of 3.8 to opponents.
The Golden Flashes offensive scheme has tallied 136 yards per game through the air overall and has two passing TD so far. The Tigers have produced 192 pass yards per outing and have three total pass scores.
Defensively, Kent State has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 211.5 yards and pass for 234.5 yards per game. The Auburn D has allowed 172.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 105.0 yards per game to opposing runners. The Tigers are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.03 to opposing QBs, while the Golden Flashes have allowed an 8.29 ANY/A.
Nix has connected on 19-of-37 passes for 207 yards, one TD and zero INTs for Auburn. His adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 6.14 for the season and 5.01 across his last two outings. In the other huddle, Crum is up to 192 passing yards this season, and has completed 17-of-23 attempts with one passing touchdowns and has yet to throw an interception. Crum has a 7.62 ANY/A for the year, though that number is 5.00 over the last two games.
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Auburn Tigers NCAA Prediction
SU Winner: Auburn, ATS Winner: Kent State, O/U: Over
Betting Notes
- The Kent State D has seven sacks on the year while Auburn has three.
- Auburn has lost two fumbles in 2019 while the Kent State offense has let four get away.
- The Golden Flashes have made one pass play of 30+ yards while the Tigers have produced three such plays.
- The Kent State defense has allowed three pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Auburn has given up one such play.
- Both teams have produced three rushing plays of 20 yards or more. The Kent State offense has recorded nine running plays of 10+ yards while Auburn has accounted for 10 such plays.
- The Golden Flashes defense has allowed one rushing play of 20+ yards, while the Tigers have given up two such runs.
