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Ohio vs. Akron Prediction and Odds

By Matt De Saro

The Akron Zips and Ohio Bobcats clash in MAC conference play on Tuesday night in Ohio.
The Akron Zips and Ohio Bobcats clash in MAC conference play on Tuesday night in Ohio. / Karen Schiely / USA TODAY NETWORK
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College basketball Mac-tion continues on Tuesday night when the Ohio Bobcats and Akron Zips do battle at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron. The in-state rivals are expected to play a tight game in what could be one of the better games of the evening. 

Ohio enters this road game coming off a win over Western Michigan 59-47 and are 10-2 on the year. The Bobcats are on a five-game winning streak and are one of the favorites to win the MAC title. Their win over WMU came in their MAC debut and showcased their stifling defense. 

Akron will be playing their second straight home game after beating the Buffalo Bulls 88-76 in their last game. The win was the sixth in a row and leaves them with an 8-3 record and a 1-0 mark in conference play. Akron also nearly beat Ohio State on the road and ended up losing by just one point. So, they have the chops to compete with Power Five teams on their best nights 

Here are the odds for this MAC matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Ohio vs. Akron Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

  • Ohio +2 (-115)
  • Akron -2 (-105)

Moneyline:

  • Ohio +110
  • Akron -130

Total: 132 (Over -110/Under -110)

Ohio vs. Akron and Pick

Despite their overall record and ranking in the conference, the Bobcats really need to work on their offense. They rank 236th in the nation from downtown and 288th in overall shooting percentage. Looking at their recent games, a few of their wins were pretty lucky considering their poor shooting results. This is especially true for their win over WMU where the Bobcats made just 3-of-22 shots from downtown or around 13 percent. 

For those hoping that Ohio’s offense will get back on track against Akron, they might want to reconsider. The Zips are a good defensive team and rank 84th in defensive field goal percentage and allow just 60.8 PPG overall. They also do a good job at defending the perimeter which could cause problems for Ohio. The Zips have also seen a lot of improvement from their offense of late and are averaging 74.4 PPG in their last three. I think that Ohio struggles again from deep and continues to play inefficient defense en route to a conference loss. 

Pick: Akron Zips -2 (-105)

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