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On a day where top conference matchups reign supreme, the MAC is up for grabs in this one as the Kent State Golden Flashes take on the Akron Zips with major implications on the line. Join us for our College Basketball odds series where our Kent State-Akron prediction and pick will be made.
Entering play with an 18-4 which includes a phenomenal 8-1 mark in conference games, Kent State is fresh off of an impressive 12-point victory over Central Michigan in which they dominate most aspects of the contest. Now winning back-to-back games after dropping a close one to Buffalo, it appears that the Golden Flashes are primed and ready for one last push as we approach the final month of the regular season.
Similar things could be said about this Akron Zips squad, as they have taken care of business rather easily by disposing of their conference foes in seven consecutive games and are on a mission to take home the MAC regular season crown. Even more magnificent, the Zips have only lost twice all season long on their home floor as they love to feed off of the fan's energy game in and game out.
Here are the Kent State-Akron college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Kent State-Akron Odds
Kent State: +1.5 (-122)
Akron: -1.5 (+100)
Over: 133.5 (-110)
Under: 133.5 (-110)
How To Watch Kent State vs. Akron
TV: ESPNU
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Kent State Could Cover The Spread
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At first glance, both of these teams appear to be neck-in-neck when looking at the overall talent and statistics, but the one biggest advantage that Kent State holds over Akron is their ability to be a resilient bunch even with their backs up against the wall. Against Central Michigan, Kent State stormed back from a 44-41 halftime deficit to outscore the Chippewas 40-25 the rest of the way.
Not to mention, if there is any player on the floor that Akron may not be able to contain, it will be senior point guard Sincere Carry. In fact, Carry is quite “sincere” with his stellar play has he leads the Golden Flashes in points, assists, and field-goal percentage on the season. Without a doubt, the shifty floor general is a major threat to the Zips in large part due to his slashing play style that often earns him trips to the free-throw line.
As a whole, Kent State is the type of squad that knows how to get their hands dirty on defense especially when it comes to forcing turnovers. At the moment, the Golden Flashes are no strangers in stealing the basketball time and time again as they average 9.3 steals per game which puts them within the top 20 in that specific statistic. Whether it's diving for loose balls, using quick hands to poke balls loose, or capitalizing on opponents' mistakes, Kent State are more than capable of covering the spread on the road.
Why Akron Could Cover The Spread
For starters, Akron has hit their stride of late offensively which has been a direct translation to the success that have found while out on the hardwood. More specifically, the Zips have found a groove when it comes to their scalding-hot shooting from beyond the arc. In fact, the Zips were able to connect on 12 of 18 three-point attempts which led to a 66% from deep.
Bafflingly enough, not only Akron has devastated their foes with elite offensive efficiency, but they also might possess one of the best one-two scoring punches in then entire nation between guard Xavier Castaneda and forward Enrique Freeman. Both ballers are averaging at least 15 PPG and are shooting lights out as of late.
Although the Zips can score in a hurry, Akron also owns the 30th-rated defense in all of the land as they only surrender 63 points per game. On paper, the Zips are extremely well-balanced in a multitude of aspects as their truly lone struggle happens to be at the charity stripe where they have only made 69% of their free-throw attempts. With that being said, if Akron is going to steal a spread-covering victory as the road team this evening, making Kent State pay at the line could prove to be the biggest difference-maker for the Zips.
Final Kent State-Akron Prediction & Pick
Oftentimes, the school whoever boasts a home-court advantage tends to have the edge in this nail-biting contests, but I actually believe that Kent State has what it takes to handle business in a hostile environment considering they are 6-4 as visitors thus far this season.
Final Kent State-Akron Prediction & Pick: Kent State +1.5 (-122)
