Kent State vs Akron Basketball Prediction & Best Bets (2/28): Will the Zips Zap the Golden Flashes in Key MAC Matchup?

Next month, Akron could be a dangerous double-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tonight, the Zips will have an opportunity to show a national audience why, as they host Kent State in a big rivalry matchup at James A. Rhodes Arena (9:00 pm ET, ESPN2).

Akron (22-6, 14-1 Mid-American Conference) has been dominant in conference play, and a win tonight will see them lock up the #1 seed in the conference tournament, which will take place from March 13-15 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. That is because they defeated Miami (OH) (21-7, 12-3 MAC) in the lone regular season between the two, and even if the RedHawks win at Ohio (15-13, 9-6 MAC) tomorrow, regular season games remain after tonight.

Tonight’s matchup between Akron and Kent State (19-9, 9-6 MAC) sees the renewal of a rivalry that has been dominated by the Zips as of late. Akron has won four in a row, including last season’s conference tournament championship game and an 85-71 win at Kent State on January 31 of this year.

Kent State vs Akron Basketball Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, where you can bet on college basketball odds for all of the top matchups on the road to March Madness and the Final Four.

Spread

• Kent State +4 (-110)
• Akron -4 (-110)

Total

• Over 156.5 (-115)
• Under 156.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Kent State +158
• Akron -178

Kent State vs Akron Betting Trends

• While Akron has only one straight-up loss in MAC action, they are just 6-9 ATS in conference games this season.
• Kent State is 7-7-1 ATS in conference games this season.
• Akron is a perfect 12-0 SU as a home favorite this season (and 14-0 SU overall at home this season), but they are only 6-6 ATS in those games.
• Kent State is 1-3 SU and 1-2-1 ATS this season as a road underdog.
• Since losing back-to-back home games against Kent State and Northern Illinois in February 2022, Akron is 44-2 SU at home. The only losses in that time are an 84-74 loss to Toledo on February 7, 2023, and a 61-60 loss to Eastern Michigan on March 5 of last year.

Kent State vs Akron Analysis, Prediction, and Picks

Golden Flashes vs Zips Analysis

Last Saturday, Akron’s perfect start in conference play came to an end with an 84-67 loss at Ohio, who held the Zips to 22.2% (4 of 18) shooting from three and 44.3% (27 of 61) shooting from the field overall while also scoring the second most points anyone has scored against Akron in conference play this season.

But that defeat in Athens was quickly forgotten, as the Zips got back into the win column Tuesday night with an 87-82 win at Ball State. They didn’t light it up from three, making only 9 of 30 (30%) from outside, but they shot 50.7% overall from the field in the win over the Cardinals.

Now they are back home to face one of their fiercest rivals, who is out of the running for the MAC regular season title but is peaking at the right time.

Since losing at home to Akron, Kent State has won six of seven, with the lone setback a 96-92 overtime loss at Miami (OH) last Friday.

That is one of four times in their last five games that the Golden Flashes have hit the 90-point mark and includes Tuesday’s 105-65 thumping of Toledo. This recent run is especially impressive when you consider that they are averaging just 74.0 points per game for the season, which is eighth in the 12-team MAC.

Golden Flashes vs Zips Prediction & Expert Picks

To have a chance to pull the upset tonight, Kent State will have to keep up those scoring exploits against one of the most prolific teams in college basketball.

Ahead of tonight’s college basketball games, Akron is ninth in Division I in scoring at 83.7 PPG and fifth in three-pointers made per game (10.9), with only North Florida, North Dakota State, BYU, and Belmont draining more per game on average.

Most notably, it’s a team effort for the Zips. Nate Johnson (13.5 PPG) and Tavari Johnson (12.9 PPG) are their only two double-digit scorers, but they are two of nine players averaging at least 6.0 PPG.

In the win at Kent State last month, all five Akron starters and reserve Sharron Young scored in double figures. That kind of depth can make Akron a real March Madness dark horse, and it also makes Kent State’s challenge of coming away with the win tonight even more difficult.

The small spread here is understandable because this is a rivalry game, and whether it is one of the biggest rivalries in American sports or a lesser-known rivalry, these kinds of matchups can be rather unpredictable.

That said, Akron is the better team, and they should win by more than the couple of baskets it will take for the spread to be covered. Take the Zips to cover tonight as they lock up the top seed for the conference tournament.