It’s that time of year again — time for your favorite Idaho-based college football bowl game. This season, it’s Kent State and Wyoming that will face off in a tense battle, with a massive glass bowl of starchy potatoes on the line. Here’s all the information you need for the Kent State vs. Wyoming matchup, including odds, a pick, and a prediction.
Kent State vs. Wyoming betting odds and trends
- Spread: Wyoming -3
- Moneyline: Wyoming -154, Kent State +126
- Total: 59
The MAC and the Mountain West meet again for what should be another close-fought contest in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Both teams enter the game with six losses. Wyoming, the favorite, is 6-6, having achieved bowl eligibility despite going 2-6 in conference play.
The Cowboys’ résumé is underwhelming on the surface, but it is the Golden Flashes who stand as the underdogs. Kent State also has six losses but came into Conference Championship Weekend 7-5. The Flashes were the champions of the underwhelming MAC West division this year but were handily beaten by Northern Illinois in the title game. Kent State beat the Huskies earlier in the year, which made the 41-23 championship loss more surprising.
Both Wyoming and Kent State enter the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in need of a facelift before the offseason. Right now, the odds favor Wyoming to receive that facelift. A relatively high-scoring game is also expected, as the over/under is set at 59. Does Wyoming deserve this confidence, or does Kent State have more than a “flash in the pan” in store?
Kent State vs. Wyoming prediction
Upon first glance, each team has one premier player that gives them a fighting chance against the other. Kent State’s is, obviously, Golden Flash legend Dustin Crum. Crum — a Shrine Bowl invite — will play his final collegiate game in Idaho. He’s scored the second-most total touchdowns all-time among Kent State QBs, only behind Josh Cribbs. He’s also second in school history in total yardage at the position.
Crum’s dual-threat ability makes him a constant menace for opposing defenses, but Wyoming’s Chad Muma will consistently make life hard for Crum. Muma, who will be at the Senior Bowl in early February, is a perpetual playmaker for the Cowboys.
He sports a long, disruptive frame but also has the explosiveness to surge into passing lanes and punish QBs for staring down targets. While other 2022 NFL Draft prospects have opted out, Muma will play, keeping Wyoming’s best player on the field.
The prediction for this game starts with Crum and Muma. But there’s more to this puzzle. If Crum manages to produce, the pressure will be on a Wyoming offense that was 100th in the NCAA in points per game this year. Starting quarterback Levi Williams is healthy, which is a plus, but the offense must prove it can remain consistent for four quarters. Young phenom Isaiah Neyor will be relied upon as a deep threat, and Xazavian Valladay can provide another outlet on the ground.
Does Wyoming have enough on offense to outlast the Flashes?
Kent State’s defense isn’t nearly as imposing as Wyoming’s, which lost a few players ahead of the bowl game both to injuries and the transfer portal. The Golden Flashes allowed 35.1 points per game this season, which ranks 119th out of 130 teams. Still, the Flashes have a few playmakers, notably Elvis Hines and Dean Clark in the secondary. Hines will likely draw Neyor more than a few times, putting pressure on Wyoming’s passing attack.
The silver lining here is that Williams, a talented redshirt sophomore with a 6’5″, 224-pound frame and great athleticism, seemingly improved down the stretch after taking the starting job from Sean Chambers early on. He had a small setback against Hawaii playing through injury, but now that he’s healthy again, Williams has a chance to lock down the starting job in 2022 with a solid showing.
Crum and Kent State will keep it close. In fact, they may find themselves in the driver’s seat for much of this game with their superior offense. Wyoming has enough on that side of the ball to get it together against a subpar defense, however. And at the end of the day, Wyoming’s defense deserves more trust getting the stops they need. This one could go either way, but we’re taking Wyoming and the spread.
Kent State vs. Wyoming prediction: Wyoming 37, Kent State 34