Buffalo is hosting Miami on Wednesday night of Week 13. The game will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET in Buffalo, New York.
The Redhawks are 1.5-point road favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 39.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this MAC conference matchup.
Miami (OH) at Buffalo prediction, preview
Miami (OH) Preview
The Redhawks are in a jumble of teams vying to make the MAC Championship Game, along with Buffalo. Western Michigan sits atop the conference with only one MAC loss. However, five teams have two losses in conference play, including Miami and Buffalo. That makes this an eliminator game between these two teams. The loser will be out of the conference title race, while the winner gets a massive bump in odds to make the title game. Miami has the best recent success in the conference, making the conference title game each of the past two seasons, winning one of them.
However, Miami faces an uphill battle to win these games without its quarterback. Dequan Finn, one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, announced that he will not be playing the rest of the season to prepare for the NFL Draft. This team could struggle with Henry Hesson at quarterback. Hesson made one start this season, against Toledo, and threw three interceptions in a losing effort. However, there is a chance that the Redhawks rally around their new quarterback after the old one quit on the team under bizarre circumstances.
Buffalo Preview
Buffalo is hoping to take advantage of the loss of Dequan Finn to get itself to the MAC title game. The Bulls have not won a conference title since 2008, and would love to get back to the top of the mountain. Buffalo’s final two games come against Miami and Ohio, two of the teams tied with two losses in conference play. So, Buffalo can knock out two of its competitors for that coveted spot in the conference championship game with two wins to end the season. Buffalo is tough defensively, ranking third in the conference in scoring defense this season. Offensively, it is led by Ta’Quan Roberson at quarterback, who is having a nice senior season for the Bulls. This is a well-balanced team that is capable of beating anybody in the conference.
Miami (OH) at Buffalo pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for it to go over the total of 39.5 points. This is one of the biggest MAC games of the season, and it will be an all-out effort from both teams with their seasons on the line. The quarterback change from Dequan Finn to Henry Hesson could actually help the total go over, despite it being a downgrade talent-wise. Finn was a dual-threat, regularly using his legs. Hesson will be more of a pocket passer, which will take less time off the clock on every series. Also, Hesson showed he has turnover issues against Toledo. If he throws some bad interceptions, that could set up short fields or even defensive scores for Buffalo. Meanwhile, for Buffalo, Al-Jay Henderson should hit some explosive runs against a Miami defense that ranks 118th in the nation in defensive EPA/rush. All of these factors should get both teams into the 20s to push the game over the total.
