Wofford vs Kent St. Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 12 2026

The Wofford Terriers travel to Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio, to face the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on ESPN+. Wofford enters at 2-0 after beating The Citadel 42-14 and Gardner-Webb 17-13, while Kent State is 0-1 after suffering a 57-0 road loss against South Carolina. This will be the first meeting between the programs. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Before placing your wagers, check out our free college football picks for more predictions throughout the season.

Wofford Brings a 2-0 Record to Kent

Wofford has started the season exactly how it wanted, beating The Citadel 42-14 before surviving a much tighter 17-13 matchup against Gardner-Webb. The Terriers now get an opportunity to test themselves against an FBS opponent.

The most encouraging part of the start is that Wofford has demonstrated it can win two different types of games. The Terriers produced 42 points in the opener but needed their defense to protect a narrow advantage against Gardner-Webb.

Wofford now faces an FBS team that struggled badly in its opener. The Terriers shouldn't expect Kent State to resemble the team that was overwhelmed at South Carolina, but entering 2-0 gives Wofford legitimate confidence in a matchup that could be more competitive than the FBS-versus-FCS label suggests.

Kent State Needs a Major Response at Home

Kent State opened the season with a 57-0 loss at South Carolina. The Golden Flashes were overmatched against an SEC opponent and now return to Dix Stadium looking for a much more representative performance in their home opener.

There is reason to avoid overreacting to that result. South Carolina represents a much higher level of competition than Wofford, and Kent State went 5-7 last season. The Golden Flashes should have a much better opportunity to establish their offense and control the line of scrimmage Saturday.

Still, being shut out by 57 points creates questions that Kent State must answer. Wofford has already played twice and demonstrated an ability to protect leads, so the Golden Flashes cannot afford to assume their FBS personnel advantage will automatically produce an easy victory.

Wofford vs Kent St. Picks and Prediction

Pick: Wofford +10.5 or Better

With a conventional spread not consistently available, Wofford +10.5 or better is my target. Kent State should be much more competitive at home than it was at South Carolina, but laying double digits with a team coming off a 57-0 loss is difficult. Wofford is already 2-0 and has demonstrated it can win both high-scoring and defensive games. If sportsbooks hang double digits, take Wofford +10.5 or better.

Pick: Under 48.5

For the total, Under 48.5 is my target. Wofford's last game produced only 30 combined points, while Kent State failed to score in its opener. The Golden Flashes should have considerably more offensive success against Wofford, but there isn't enough evidence yet to expect Kent State to drive this into a high-scoring game. A score around 24-17 or 27-17 fits the matchup. Take the Under if the total is set at 48.5 or higher.

Final Picks: Wofford +10.5 or better and Under 48.5 or higher