The Akron Zips visit Henderson Center to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 4.
The Thundering Herd are hoping to rebound after their 85-70 loss to Ohio on Tuesday. James Kelly had a solid performance for Marshall, putting up 18 points, eight rebounds, and two steals. The Zips are coming off a 77-71 win over Coppin State on Wednesday. Pat Forsythe led the game in scoring by posting 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
Akron takes on Marshall as an eight-point favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 149 points. The Thundering Herd have gone 0-4 Straight Up (SU) and 1-3 Against The Spread (ATS). The Thundering Herd are 23rd in the country in steals with 9.0 per game.
In the other locker room, the Zips have records of 2-2 ATS and 5-2 SU. The Zips are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 44.6 rebounds per game. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Zips allow just 61.9 points per game, ranking them 25th in the nation. Akron’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .342 from the field. The Zips are in for a physical game against Marshall. The Thundering Herd are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 23.2 fouls per game.
This is the first meeting of the season for Marshall and Akron. The last time they played, Akron came out on top, bumping its SU record to 7-3. With a 6-4 record, the Thundering Herd have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Akron, ATS Winner – Akron, O/U – Over
Notes
Marshall is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Marshall’s last 5 games.
Marshall is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Marshall’s last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Marshall’s last 5 games when playing Akron.
Marshall is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Akron.
The Akron Zips have a defensive rating of 87.9 (ranked 22nd), while the Marshall Thundering Herd have an offensive rating of 90.2 (ranked 333rd).
The Marshall Thundering Herd average a field goal percentage of 37.5% this season. The Akron Zips have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 37.5% or greater.
The Marshall Thundering Herd and the Akron Zips both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Marshall is 341st and 330th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Akron is 240th and 146th in these categories.
Akron, the 93rd-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.4 per game. Marshall does worse, ranked 167th with 3.5.
Marshall ranks 187th in offensive rebounds, while Akron ranks 14th in defensive rebounds.
Marshall ranks 23rd in steals per game with 9.0. When Akron gives up 9 or more steals, the team has an even 2-2 record.
