Buffalo vs. Troy odds, line: 2018 Dollar General Bowl picks, predictions from expert who's 4-0 on Bulls games

The Buffalo Bulls will make their first bowl appearance in five seasons when they face off against the Troy Trojans in the 2018 Dollar General Bowl. Kickoff from Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., is Saturday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. ET. The Trojans are looking to reach double-digit victories for the third straight season under head coach Neal Brown, while Buffalo is coming off its best season since 1999. The Bulls are a 1-point favorite and the over-under is 50 in the latest Troy vs. Buffalo odds. Before you make any Troy vs. Buffalo picks of your own, be sure to check out the 2018 Dollar General Bowl projections from SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh.

The renowned co-founder of AccuScore enters bowl season on an impressive 16-9 run on his college football picks. He's had an especially keen eye for the tendencies of Buffalo, entering the Dollar General Bowl 2018 on a 4-0 run on his against the spread picks involving the Bulls. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now he's evaluated the latest 2018 Dollar General Bowl odds and crunched the numbers for every possible scenario for Buffalo vs. Troy. His 2018 Dollar General Bowl picks are in, and you can only see them at SportsLine.

Oh knows that Buffalo features an explosive offense that can rack up yards and points in a hurry. The Bulls ranked third in the MAC in points per game (34.8) and finished the season averaging over 195 rushing yards per contest. The Bulls are led by the MAC Offensive Player of the Year Tyree Jackson, who threw for over 2,800 yards while scoring 34 total touchdowns this season. Jackson and the Bulls' explosive ground game will be eager to face a Troy defense that was gashed for 204 rushing yards in its last outing against Appalachian State.

The Bulls also feature a defense that can wreak havoc on their opponents. Buffalo boasts the 19th-ranked passing defense in college football, allowing under 185 passing yards per game.

But just because Buffalo is playing well on both sides of the ball doesn't mean it can cover the Dollar General Bowl spread against Troy.

The Trojans are looking to make history on Saturday against the Bulls. With a win, the Trojans will secure their fourth consecutive bowl game victory, which would be a school record. And Troy knows what it takes to be successful at the Dollar General Bowl. In fact, the Trojans defeated Ohio by a final score of 28-23 in the 2016 Dollar General Bowl. 

The Trojans will enter Saturday's showdown against Buffalo knowing it has to contain the Bulls' explosive offense. Luckily, the Trojans have held their opponents to 21 or fewer points in seven of their last eight games and boast a top-25 scoring defense, which allows just 21.2 points per game. 

Oh has analyzed this matchup from every possible angle and while we can tell you he's leaning over, he has discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing his pick over at SportsLine.

Who covers in Troy vs. Buffalo? And what crucial x-factor causes one side of the spread to hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump all over at the 2018 Dollar General Bowl, all from the data scientist who's 4-0 on his picks involving the Bulls, and find out.