The fourth-seeded Akron Zips (23-9) battle the second-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes (23-9) in a Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game Saturday in Cleveland. The all-Northeast Ohio contest at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse is slated to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Akron vs. Kent State odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Akron beat fifth-seeded Buffalo 70-68 Thursday and top-seeded Toledo 70-62 Friday. UA has won seven straight games by an average margin of victory of 10.1 points over that stretch. The Zips have a very young roster, but they have the look of a team coming together in a special run.
Kent State advanced with wins over Miami (Ohio) and Ohio and swept the two-game regular-season series from Akron. The series between the two programs separated by fewer than 15 miles of Northeast Ohio pavement has been a close one over recent years. Each school has won four times in eight games since the 2018-19 season.
See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
Akron vs. Kent State odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:37 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Akron +133 (bet $100 to win $133) | Kent State -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Akron +3.5 (-115) | Kent State -3.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 124.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
[tipico]
Akron vs. Kent State odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Akron 65, Kent State 63
Money line
The Zips are trending the right way in key analytic statistical measures. They’ve done well to take better care of the basketball and to get to the foul line more often. Both of those areas figure to loom large Saturday. The trips to the charity stripe are especially something UA can leverage against a KSU that ranks near the bottom of the circuit in free-throw allowance.
Akron was a good play in its semifinal. It remains one for the title game. BACK THE ZIPS (+133).
Against the spread
Consider AKRON +3.5 (-115) for a bit of insurance against a close loss.
Over/Under
The previous two meetings were lined at 131 and 133 points. With Akron’s above-average abilities to get to the line and knock down shots from beyond the arc (35.1%), TAKE THE OVER 124.5 (-110).
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]