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Buffalo Bulls 2015 NCAA Football Odds & Predictions

2015-2016 Football Previews (MAC)- Bulls

The Buffalo Bulls have a new head coach in Lance Leipold. Leipold had tons of success at Wisconsin Whitewater. He hopes to bring some of that success to a Buffalo program that hasn’t been very good in recent years despite having some high level players (Khalil Mack and Branden Oliver).  Will it take time or will he win right away?

NCAA Football Gambling Lines

MAC Lines

MAC 2015-2016 College Football Preview – Buffalo Bulls

Head Coach: Lance Leipold
2014 Record: 5-6
Odds to win MAC (from BetOnline): +8,000
Season Win Total (from 5Dimes):5.5

The under is heavily juiced here, so the oddsmakers and sharp bettors are low on the Bulls this year. They had one game cancelled last year due to weather. Buffalo actually won their last two games of the year, including a 55-24 win over Akron as a three point underdog.

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The Bulls return seven starters on offense and four starters on defense. Here’s a look at their roster.

Team Strengths

Anthone Taylor took over for Branden Oliver, and he did an amazing job at the running back position. Taylor is the best player on this team, and it isn’t even close. He averaged 5.0 yards per game as a junior, and I expect him to be great as a senior this season.

Jordan Johnson is a really good backup here too. Johnson dealt with injuries last year, and if he stays healthy he’ll get more time this season. Buffalo recruited well in the backfield too. It’s the most talented and deepest spot on the Buffalo roster.

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Joe Licata has to be considered a strength for the Bulls in his senior season under center. Licata threw 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year. He has a ton of experience and because of his solid decision making skills, I do think he’ll fit well into Leipold’s new offense. In fact, it should help him thrive even more. Tyree Jackson was an early signee of Leipold’s and I expect him to have a good future at this position too.

Team Weaknesses

The entire Buffalo defense should be considered a weakness. They lost their top four tacklers from a year ago, and this group is switching from a 3-3-5 defense to a more conventional 4-3. That might be a good move in the long run, but scheme changes can be tough in the first year.

The single biggest weakness on the Buffalo roster is the defensive line. That’s a major concern since there are a lot of good offensive fronts in the Mid American Conference. Buffalo lost arguably its four top linemen from last year. Torey Hendrick is a junior college transfer who originally signed with Iowa. Hendrick is going to be counted on to provide a lot of pressure in the backfield. Look for Buffalo to struggle in a big way, especially when it comes to stopping the run.

It’s hard to believe this is even possible, but Buffalo had only two interceptions last year as a team. The secondary is in a lot of trouble again. There’s very little depth with this group. There are only 12 career returning starts in this entire unit. Look for the Bulls secondary to be picked on this year.

Buffalo Bulls 2015-2016 Prediction: 4-8

Leipold has proven he is a great coach, and I do think he’ll be a good hire for this team. The success will have to wait, though. This Buffalo defense is terrible, and the offense isn’t good enough to win shootouts in the MAC.

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I expect a disappointing season for Buffalo. I like the season win total under 5.5.

Buffalo Bulls 2015-2016 Football Schedule

Regular Season
Date Time vs
9/5/15 3:30 PM ET ALBY
9/12/15 12:00 PM ET @PSU
9/19/15 12:00 PM ET @FAU
9/26/15 TBD NEV
10/3/15 TBD BGSU
10/17/15 TBD @CMU
10/24/15 TBD OHIO
10/29/15 TBD @M-OH
11/5/15 TBD @KENT
11/11/15 TBD NIU
11/21/15 TBD @AKR
11/27/15 TBD MASS

Check out our Updated College Football Odds.

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The 2015 College futures betting season is here in full force! If you like to bet on NCAA football, you are in the best possible place for online betting. CappersPicks.com has NCAAF odds up on a ton of futures, and you will also find College football lines up for early games as well.

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By Kyle Hunter

Kyle Hunter sports picks – A degree in finance and a great ability to follow important trends and statistics set him apart from the rest. Totals are Kyle's specialty, so look for a lot of totals picks from NBA, NCAAF, & the NFL. Check out his plays today.