MACtion returns this week as the Miami (OH) Redhawks welcome the Buffalo Bulls to Fred C. Yager Stadium for a conference matchup Tuesday night, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Both programs arrive at 5-3 overall and 3-1 in Mid-American Conference play.
The stakes are considerable. The Ohio Bobcats, at 6-2 overall and 4-0 in league play, are the only MAC team without a conference loss, making this contest look like a potential eliminator in the conference title race. Five teams enter Week 10 with one conference loss or fewer, so any head-to-head meeting between them carries added weight down the stretch. Bowl eligibility is also on the line, with each side chasing its sixth win of the season.
History favors the home team. Miami (OH) earned a 37-20 victory in Buffalo last season and holds an 18-9 edge in the all-time series between the programs.
The sidelines feature two established coaches. Chuck Martin is in his 13th season leading Miami (OH) and has taken the program to five consecutive bowl appearances. Pete Lambo is in his third season at Buffalo and is pursuing a second bowl bid for the Bulls. In their two previous head-to-head meetings, Martin's Redhawks prevailed both times, winning 23-10 in Oxford in 2023 before last year's 17-point result in Buffalo.
Last season's meeting offered a template for Miami (OH). The Redhawks won the turnover battle 3-0 and cruised despite being outgained, piling up 162 rushing yards while holding the Bulls to just 46 yards on the ground.
The trenches could decide this one as well. Buffalo has leaned on a more run-heavy approach in 2026, while Miami (OH) fields one of the best run defenses in the MAC, so winning the line of scrimmage figures to be crucial for both teams.
As for the numbers, Miami (OH) is favored by 6.5 points at home in the latest odds from DraftKings. The over/under for the game sits at 44.5 points, while Buffalo's team total is listed at 18.5.
The SportsLine Projection Model's best bet is Over 45.5 points at -110 odds. Both teams rank outside the top 75 nationally in scoring, though those figures are skewed by non-conference games against power conference opponents. Since MAC play began, Buffalo has averaged 195.8 rushing yards per game and Miami (OH) has averaged 184.0, and the two have combined to average 49.5 points per game in conference action. If either offense finds anything through the air, they could cruise past the total.
The model projects the teams to combine for 51 points on average, with the Over hitting in 65% of its simulations.
