The Central Michigan Chippewas (8-7) welcome the Akron Zips (13-2) in a matchup that pits the Mid-American’s top-ranked offense against the 12th-ranked defense. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and will air on ES3.
The Chippewas come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, topping Bowling Green 79-67 on Saturday. Braylon Rayson was the game’s high scorer with 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting. The Zips, meanwhile, are coming off a 62-53 win over Western Michigan on Friday. Antino Jackson was the team’s top scorer, accounting for 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
Isaiah Johnson has been hot for the Zips, averaging 16.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks over the past five games.
This showdown pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Central Michigan currently ranks 28th in offensive efficiency and Akron is 16th in defensive efficiency.
Central Michigan is a three-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 145 points. The Chippewas come into this game 8-7 Straight Up (SU) and 2-5-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Central Michigan is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.32.
In the other locker room, the Zips head into the game with records of 6-3 ATS and 13-2 SU. Most recently, Akron is 4-1 ATS over the last 10 games. The Zips are an excellent long-range shooting team with 167 three-point shots made (11.0 per game), ranking 12th in Division I. The Zips have controlled the glass with an average of 41.2 rebounds per game, 34th in the country. The Akron defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .377 shooting from the field to its opponents.
This is the first meeting of the season for these conference rivals. The last time they played, Akron came out on top, moving its SU record against Central Michigan to 9-1 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. Additionally, with an 8-2 record, Akron has the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Akron held the edge in all three of these categories two times in the last five meetings. Central Michigan never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Akron, ATS Winner – Akron, O/U – Over
Notes
Central Michigan is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Central Michigan is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Akron.
Central Michigan is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Akron.
Central Michigan is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Akron.
The Central Michigan Chippewas average 77.9 points per game, ranking 90th in the nation. The Akron Zips rank 26th in points allowed with 63.8.
Akron scores 73.5 points per away game (ranked 89th). Central Michigan ranks a poor 278th in points allowed at home, allowing 73.1 points.
Ranked 92nd, the Akron Zips have an offensive rating of 110.0. The Central Michigan Chippewas rank 318th with a defensive rating of just 110.7.
The Central Michigan Chippewas average a field goal percentage of 44.9% this season. The Akron Zips are a perfect 4-0 in games where opponents have a FG% of 44.9% or greater.
The Central Michigan Chippewas and the Akron Zips both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Central Michigan is 129th and 46th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Akron is 275th and 127th in these categories.
Central Michigan ranks 48th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.32, while Akron ranks 80th with an A/TO of 1.24.
Central Michigan ranks 181st in offensive rebounds, while Akron ranks 30th in defensive rebounds.
The Central Michigan Chippewas make an average of 4.9 steals per game. When the Akron Zips allow 4 or more steals, they are a tremendous 8-2.
