The No. 8 seed Kent State Golden Flashes and the No. 2 seed Akron Zips battle in the 2024 MAC Tournament final on Saturday. The winner of this game gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Akron narrowly leads the all-time head-to-head series 29-28, and the Zips won and covered in both regular-season matchups this campaign.
Tipoff from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Ohio is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Zips are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Kent State vs. Akron odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 131.5. Before making any Akron vs. Kent State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the proven SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters 2024 conference championship week on a 145-104 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 28-18 (+820) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Kent State vs. Akron and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Akron vs. Kent State:
- Kent State vs. Akron spread: Zips -4.5
- Kent State vs. Akron over/under: 131.5 points
- Kent State vs. Akron money line: Zips -200, Golden Flashes +166
- KENT: Kent State has hit the 1H Under in 18 of last 32 games
- AKR: Akron has hit the game total Under in 13 of last 18 games
- Kent State vs. Akron picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Kent State can cover
Junior guard Jalen Sullinger has provided Kent State with an athletic, three-level scorer this season. Sullinger owns a quick first step and is a streaky shooter from the outside. The Ohio native averages a team-high 15.1 points with 2.4 assists per game. In the semifinal win over Bowling Green, he finished with 22 points and five assists.
Junior forward VonCameron Davis is a solid playmaker in the frontcourt. Davis is relentlessly attacking the board and is consistently attacking downhill. The Illinois native is putting up 13.8 points, five rebounds and shoots 48% from the field. In the quarterfinal victory over Toledo, Davis had 26 points and 12 boards. See which team to pick here.
Why Akron can cover
Senior guard Ali Ali gives the team a long and aggressive ball handler. Ali can create his own shot, including scoring from the post or as a cutter. He logs 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Ali totaled at least 17 points in four of his last six matchups. On Friday, he racked up 16 points and eight rebounds.
Senior guard Greg Tribble is another force in the backcourt. Tribble has good ball speed and does a solid job drawing fouls when driving to the rack. The Ohio native puts up 10.8 points and 2.1 assists per game. On Mar. 8 against Western Michigan, Tribble notched 18 points, four rebounds and five assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make Kent State vs. Akron picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 145 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Akron vs. Kent State, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
