| MATCHUP | Kent State Golden Flashes | South Florida Bulls |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 2-4 | 4-2 |
| Spread | +20.5 -108 | -20.5 -112 |
| Moneyline | +850 | -1450 |
| Total | Over 45.5 (-102) | Under 45.5 (-118) |
| Where | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL | |
| When | Saturday, October 17, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EDT | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Kent State Golden Flashes and the South Florida Bulls meet Saturday in college football action from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Here’s a Kent State vs South Florida prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Kent State vs USF pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Kent State Golden Flashes Betting Preview
The Flashes have had some rocky games so far this year but they’ve also got a couple of decent wins in the books. Kent State got blown out by South Carolina in their opener then took out Wofford ahead of another blowout loss to Ohio State. Following a win over Ball State in game four, the Flashes lost a tough one 13-10 versus Ohio for a 2-3 start to the year.
In the Western Michigan game last weekend the Flashes were down 14-7 at one point in the second quarter but didn’t end up getting any closer than that. When the dust settled Kent State walked away with a 38-7 blowout loss. QB Dru DeShields was 19-of-35 for 223 yards, one TD and one pick. Mason King rushed 13 times for just 36 yards as the leading runner.
Kent State Golden Flashes @ South Florida Bulls Betting Trends: Week 7
South Florida Bulls Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 7, D.J. Crowther ranks T14th amongst FBS players for touchdowns (8) this season.
Kent State Golden Flashes Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 7, Da’Realyst Clark ranks 5th in the Mid-American Conference for kick return yards (174) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- South Florida ranks 6th among FBS teams for Q4 points per game this season (11.3).
- South Florida ranks 14th among FBS teams for average point differential in fourth quarters this season (+5.7).
- Kent State has suffered the equal-most road losses by a margin of 40+ points of any FBS team this season (2).
- Kent State ranks 137th among FBS teams for points per game this season (13.7).
South Florida Bulls Betting Preview
Over on the Bulls’ side, they kicked off the season on a nice stretch but they’ve run into some trouble lately. South Florida opened the year on a four-game win streak versus Florida International, Army, Delaware State and Bowling Green. Since then however, it’s been a pair of losses to Temple and UTSA for a 4-2 record in the books through six games.
Matched up against UTSA in their last outing, the Bulls weren’t in too bad of shape by halftime sporting a 17-10 lead. South Florida gave up 13 unanswered points after that though, and eventually lost 31-24 in the end. QB Michael Van Buren was 16-of-29 for 177 yards and a pair of scores. DJ Crowther was the lead rusher with 20 totes for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Kent State vs USF Prediction
I’ll probably just go with the Bulls. South Florida nearly toppled a good UTSA team in a tricky road matchup during their last outing, but got burned on rush defense with 277 yards allowed (486 total). The 3-of-11 on third-down tries didn’t help matters offensively either. The Bulls are still a solid team though; they’ve only got a pair of one-score losses on their card so far.
As for Kent State, they posted 11 flags for 100 yards in their loss to Western Michigan and went just 3-of-13 on third-down tries. The Flashes gave up 26 first downs and 466 total yards to the Broncos as well. Kent State has been held to 10 points or fewer in all four of their losses this year.