It is Friday night MACtion on the hardwood as Ohio faces Akron. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Ohio-Akron prediction and pick.

Ohio comes into the game at 10-6 on the year but is tied for the top spot in the MAC with a 4-0 conference record. they opened up the season struggling, going just 2-5 in their first seven games. Since then, they have been great. They have won eight of nine games, including all four MAC games. Last time out, they faced Ball State. In their last game, Ohio faced Ball State. It was tight for the first ten minutes, but Ohio would open a lead, leading 45-35 at the half. They would go on to win the game 86-71.

Meanwhile, Akron is 11-5 on the year, while also sitting 4-0 in conference play this year. They opened the year strong, going 5-2 in their first seven games, before going 1-3 in the next four. Still, they have won their last four straight, all in conference play. In their last game, Akron faced Toledo. Toledo had an early lead, leading 42-30 at the half. Still, Akron would have a strong second half, taking the lead, and going on to win the game 85-78.

Here are the Ohio-Akron College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Ohio-Akron Odds

Ohio: +2.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +115

Akron: -2.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -138

Over: 157.5 (-115)

Under: 157.5 (-105)

How to Watch Ohio vs. Akron

Time: 6:00 PM ET/ 3:00 PM PT

TV: CBS Sports Network

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Ohio Will Cover The Spread/Win

Ohio is 150th in the nation in KenPom's rankings this year. They sit 135th in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 201st in adjusted defensive efficiency. Ohio has been much better on the offensive end of the court this year. They are 56th in the nation in points per game, while sitting 50th in effective field goal percentage. Further, they are 64th in the nation in made threes per game this year.

It is AJ Clayton who leads Ohio in points, rebounds, and blocks this year. He comes into the game with 16.8 points per game, while adding 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. He also has 1.2 assists per game this season. Clayton is joined in the frontcourt by Aidan Hadaway. Hadaway is scoring 10.4 points per game, while also adding 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this year.

In the backcourt, it is Jackson Paveletzke who leads the way. Paveletzke leads the team in assists this year with 5.7 per game. Further, he scored 12.1 points per game while adding 4.1 rebounds. He is joined in the backcourt by AJ Brown. Brown is scoring 11.4 points per game, while also having 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this year.

Why Akron Will Cover The Spread/Win

Akron is 120th in the nation in KenPom's rankings this year. They sit 119th in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 151st in adjusted defensive efficiency. Akron is 46th in the nation in points per game but sits 140th in effective shooting percentage. Further, they also play well from behind the arc. Arkon is sixth in the nation in three-point attempts made per game, while sitting sitting seventh in attempts.

Nate Johnson leads Akron in scoring this year. He is scoring 12.7 points per game while adding 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals. He is joined in the backcourt by Tavri Johnson. Johnson leads the team in assists this year, coming in with 4.8 per game on the year. Further, he has 11.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Finally, Isaiah Gray has been solid. He comes into the game with 9.7 points per game, while adding 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this year.

Akron uses a guard-heavy rotation, but James Okonkow leads the way in the frontcourt. He comes in leading the team in rebounds, with 8.3 rebounds per game. Further, he scored 7.7 points per game, while adding 1.1 blocks per game this year.

Final Ohio-Akron Prediction & Pick

While Akron does score more per game than Ohio, there are a few metrics that show Ohio will come away with this one. First, Arkon scores just .8 points per game more than Ohio. Still, they take 66.1 field goal attempts per game, while Ohio takes just 60.1, playing at a slower tempo. Second, while Akron scores more from three, they are 92nd in the nation in three-point percentage, while Ohio is 86th. Further, Akron does not rebound well. They are 229th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage, while Ohio is 96th in the nation. Finally, Akron is 223rd in the nation in turnovers per game, while Ohio is 139th. Take Ohio in this one.

Final Ohio-Akron Prediction & Pick: Ohio ML (+115)