Kent State at Arkansas State
When: 9:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 6, 2013
Where: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
Oddsmakers currently have the Red Wolves listed as 2-point favorites versus the Golden Flashes, while the game’s total is sitting at 62.
Prediction: Kent State 45, Arkansas State 41

The Red Wolves finished the regular season strong, scoring 131 total points in their final three games and topping 500 yards of offense in each of those contests. Arkansas State can break the school record for points in a season by scoring 20, a safe bet considering the Red Wolves topped 30 points in 11 of 13 games. Freshman wide receiver J.D. McKissic is Aplin’s top target and – with 92 catches – needs three more to break the single-season reception record. Thompson, who in his first season as defensive coordinator, helped Arkansas State lead the Sun Belt in scoring defense for the second straight year. Linebacker Nathan Herrold has 109 tackles, the first Arkansas State defender to reach triple digits since 2007. Placekicker Brian Davis is a reliable weapon, with 40 made field goals for his career and a school-record 100 points this season.

Last time out for Arkansas State, they were a 45-0 winner as they battled Middle Tennessee at home. Arkansas State covered in the match as a 13.5-point favorite, while 45 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

The Golden Flashes won the East Division title in the MAC and is making their first bowl appearance since December 1972. Archer logged a 38.2-yard average on kickoff returns with three returns for touchdowns. Archer, who’s scored 22 total touchdowns in 13 games, is the only player in the country with more than 1,300 yards rushing and 500 receiving. He also threw a 24-yard touchdown pass this season. Linebacker Luke Batton is the Golden Flashes’ top defensive player. He has 132 total tackles and ranks as one of the top 20 most prolific defenders in the country. Kent State ranks second in Division I in turnover margin and – with 38 takeaways – is tied with Oregon for the nation’s lead. The Golden Flashes have solid special teams. In addition to Archer’s exploits as a returner, Kent State led the MAC in net punting and kicker Freddy Cortez closed the season with six straight made field goals.

In their last action, Kent State was a 44-37 loser at home against Northern Illinois. They covered the 7.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (81) was profitable news for OVER bettors.

Team records:
Arkansas State: 9-3 SU, 8-4 ATS
Kent State: 11-2 SU, 11-2 ATS

A few trends to consider:
Arkansas State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arkansas State’s last 6 games
Kent State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kent State’s last 7 games

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