Massachusetts vs. Sacramento State Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Where Massachusetts gets at Sacramento State: 40th at hitting chunk plays, against a unit 95th at keeping everything in front of them. Where Sacramento State gets at Massachusetts: 57th at staying on schedule through the air, against a unit 136th at keeping opponents off schedule through the air. Sacramento State is also 65th at surviving second and twelve, against a unit 138th.
How
MASSattacks
SAC
- 1
Take shots
hitting chunk plays · projected
MASS#40 of 138SAC#95 of 138
HowSACattacksMASS
- 1
Stay on schedule through the air
staying on schedule through the air · projected
SAC#57 of 138MASS#136 of 138 - 2
Trust the offense behind schedule
surviving second and twelve · projected
SAC#65 of 138MASS#138 of 138 - 3
Expect a clean pocket
sacks and tackles for loss · projected
SAC#67 of 138MASS#138 of 138
The two teams
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is in year 2 under Joe Harasymiak. The strengths are defensive, led by 23rd at keeping everything in front of them. The way in is 138th at throwing it, and they are 138th at moving the ball on the ground.
Massachusetts has played 1 game against a genuinely tough slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Defensehitting chunk plays#23projected
Projected soft spots
- Offensethrowing it#138projected
- Offensemoving the ball on the ground#138projected
- Offensefirst and second down#138projected
Sacramento State
Sacramento State is in year 1 under Alonzo Carter. No unit here sits far enough from the national average to build a plan around — nothing to lean on, and nothing obvious to attack.
Sacramento State has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (SAC Elo 1324, MASS Elo 1076 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects SAC -32.7 (99% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
MASS35th99thSACSAC120th66thMASSThrough the air
MASS105th94thSACSAC91st103rdMASSOn the ground
MASS65th77thSACSAC108th37thMASSStaying on the field
MASS94th37thSACSAC118th22ndMASSTaking care of it
MASS1st76thSACSAC124th9thMASS
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| MASS | SAC | |
|---|---|---|
| -16.0 (#122) | CORE overall | -20.4 (#131) |
| -10 / +6 | offense / defense | -14 / +7 |
| 3.70 | points / drive | 0.59 |
| 1.75 | allowed / drive | 2.75 |
| 20% | three-and-outs | 36% |
| -1 | pass over expected | +14 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Massachusetts vs. Sacramento State?
Gridpex's model favors Sacramento State with a 99% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Massachusetts vs. Sacramento State?
The model projects Sacramento State by 32.7.
What time is Massachusetts vs. Sacramento State and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Hornet Stadium.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →