An undefeated conference record is at stake when Ohio visits Akron for this Friday night MAC matchup.
Both teams are 4-0 in league play while Akron is 11-5 overall and Ohio is 10-6.
The Zips are on a four-game win streak with their most recent loss coming in a 76-75 defeat at Princeton. They led by as much as 15 in the second half of that contest.
The Bobcats are on a six-game win streak with their last loss coming at Marshall on Dec. 14. They went 6-6 in non-conference play and almost dropped their first league game but survived against Central Michigan in a 57-55 win.
The home team has won the last four regular-season matchups between these programs, but Akron won the most recent meeting in last year’s MAC Tournament semifinals, 65-62. The Zips went on to beat Kent State in the title game.
Whoever wins this game should be the favorite to win the MAC regular-season title. Akron is currently the favorite at +135 and Ohio is the second favorite at +180.
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Ohio at Akron Betting Odds
Akron is a 2.5-point college basketball odds favorite on BetMGM against Ohio while the Over/Under is at 157.5.
The Moneyline for Akron is at -150 and at +125 for Ohio.
Ohio at Akron On TV
The matchup between Ohio and Akron will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Tonight’s game tips off at 6 p.m. ET.
Ohio at Akron Prediction
I predict Akron will cover the 2.5-point spread. I also predict this game will go over 157.5 points.
These are two of the three highest-scoring teams in the league, and there’s no shortage of guys that can get a bucket on either team. These are also two of the three best 3-point shooting teams in the conference.
Akron is second in the MAC with 82.3 points per game and is shooting 35% from the 3-point line. What’s interesting about the Zips, though, is that they don’t even have a guy who averages more than 13 PPG. Nate Johnson leads the team with 12.7 PPG, and Tavari Johnson is second on the team with 11.8 PPG.
The Zips then have seven other guys who are averaging at least 6.9 points per night. Forty percent of their minutes come from reserves, which ranks 24th in the country, per KenPom. This makes their run-and-gun style of play much more feasible, as they’re able to bring fresh bodies in to keep up the pace. Their adjusted tempo is 71.7, which ranks 27th in the nation.
Akron, by far, shoots the most shots in the MAC and converts on 44% of them. I expect them to continue to put up a lot of points, especially against an Ohio defense that’s allowing its opponents to shoot 39.7% from the arc.
The Bobcats are third in the league, averaging 81.1 PPG. They’re led by AJ Clayton, who leads the MAC in scoring (16.8 PPG) and may be the league’s Player of the Year. Jackson Paveletzke is next on the roster, averaging 12.1 PPG.
Ohio’s offense is a little more efficient than Akron’s. It shoots 48% from the field and 36% from outside. The Bobcats have an effective field goal percentage of 54.6%, which ranks 50th in the country. They should be able to find offensive success in this one.
However, I do expect Akron center James Okonkwo to spend a lot of time guarding Clayton, and I think he can stymie him. Okonkwo is one of the best defenders in the conference and I think he is athletic enough to challenge Clayton on the perimeter, where he’s shooting 40%. This should be the best matchup to watch and the matchup that can dictate this game.
I think the Zips can make enough buckets down the stretch and get enough stops — behind Okonkwo — to pick up a win here in a close one. I’m really giving them the edge because they’re playing at the JAR and I anticipate hitting some late free throws will help them cover the spread.
Ohio is 1-8 against the spread this season on the road and 0-2 as an underdog. Akron is 5-4 ATS as a favorite. The total has gone Over 10 times for each team and six out of seven times in the Zips’ home games.
