The Akron Zips (12-17, 5-12 MAC) and Kent State Golden Flashes (15-15, 9-8 MAC) wrap up the regular season when they go head-to-head at James A. Rhodes Arena. The game is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, March 2, 2018.
Akron is a 1.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 146.5 points.
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Akron Zips Free Prediction
The Golden Flashes will be hoping for similar success after beating the Miami (OH) RedHawks in their last outing, 90-83. Kent State’s rebounding was their largest advantage. The Golden Flashes had 12 offensive rebounds and 43 total rebounds, while the RedHawks had five and 30, respectively. Danny Pippen led the way for Kent State, contributing 17 points and 18 rebounds.
In the Zips’ last game, they were beaten by the Buffalo Bulls, 80-68. Buffalo’s free throw rate was their biggest advantage over Akron. The Bulls had a rate of 0.346 (above their season average of 0.210), while the Zips posted a mark of 0.102 (below their season average of 0.225). With 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Akron’s Jimond Ivey had a good performance.
Kent State appears to have an advantage on the offensive glass in this matchup. The Golden Flashes are among the nation’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 80th in offensive rebounding percentage at 32.0 percent. Meanwhile, Akron ranks 191st in the NCAA at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 71.3 percent.
Kent State holds records of 15-15 straight up (SU) and 12-12-1 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Golden Flashes games, with 13 overs compared to 12 unders.
Meanwhile, Akron is 12-17 SU and 12-15 ATS. Games involving the Zips have typically gone under the O/U total (55.6 percent).
Jalen Avery has averaged 11.4 points over the last five games for Kent State.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Jaylin Walker scored a game-high 27 points in the first matchup, in which the Golden Flashes defeated the Zips 78-68, covering as 6-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 146 points, which was just 1 points below the projected point total of 147 points. The Golden Flashes knocked down 22 of their 24 free throws (91.7 percent) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (35.5 vs. 29.4).
Kent State Golden Flashes at Akron Zips Betting Pick
Free Pick: SU Winner – Kent State, ATS Winner – Kent State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Kent State is 4-9 ATS on the road with 7 unders and 6 overs.
At home, Akron is 7-6 ATS with 7 unders and 6 overs.
Akron ranks 30th in three pointers attempted per game (26.5) while Kent State ranks 142nd in three pointers allowed per game (21.7).
The Zips rank 182nd in assists per game (12.9) while the Golden Flashes rank 234th (11.8).
Kent State ranks 102nd in blocks per game (3.4) while Akron ranks 123rd in blocks allowed per game (3.5).
The Golden Flashes average 35.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 138th in the nation. The Zips rank 158th in rebounds allowed per game (35.0).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Kent State is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Akron is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Golden Flashes’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 1.2, up from 0.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Zips have scored an average of 71.2 points per game (0.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 78.2 points per game (2.3 above their season average).
