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The No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats open the 2025 NCAA Tournament against the No. 13 Akron Zips on Friday night. Arizona (22-12) went 14-6 in their first year as a member of the Big 12 and finished as the runner-up in the conference tournament, losing to Houston 72-64 on Saturday.. Akron (28-6) won the MAC's regular season and conference tournament titles and represents the conference in the Big Dance for the second consecutive season.

Tipoff from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle is set for 7:35 p.m. ET. The Wildcats are 14.5-point favorites in the latest Arizona vs. Akron odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points is 165.5. Before making any Akron vs. Arizona picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-166 roll (+2025) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Akron vs. Arizona and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Arizona vs. Akron:

  • Arizona vs. Akron spread: Arizona -14.5
  • Arizona vs. Akron over/under: 165.5 points 
  • Arizona vs. Akron money line: Arizona -1124, Akron +707
  • AZ: 19-15 against the spread (ATS) this season 
  • AKR: 17-15 ATS this season 
  • Arizona vs. Akron picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Arizona can cover

The Wildcats have been a streaky team all season but they have also played one of the toughest schedules in the country. Arizona has faced 21 Quad 1 opponents, tied for the most with Auburn and Kentucky, with a 10-11 record in those contests. Tommy Lloyd's team has made the Sweet 16 in two of the last three NCAA Tournaments and looks to jump start another run into the second weekend with a win over Auburn.

Arizona is led by senior guard Caleb Love, who is averaging 16.6 points per game in his fifth and final season of college basketball. The All-Big 12 first team player made the Final Four in 2022 with North Carolina and would love nothing more to end his career than with another deep run. Guard Jaden Bradley (11.8 PPG) is the team's point guard and like Love, can provide a spark on offense and defense. The Wildcats are 18-2 this season when they score more than 80 points, which seems like a good bet in what should be a track meet on Friday night. See which team to pick here.

Why Akron can cover 

The Zips are likely to play with a 'nothing to lose' mentality as a large underdog to the Wildcats. Last year, Akron fell by 17 as the No. 14 seed to No. 3 Creighton and looks to make Arizona sweat plenty in this contest. As the eighth highest scoring team this season (84.6 points per game), John Groce's team will likely play a fast-paced game trying to gain an early lead and get the Wildcats back on their heals chasing points.

Akron is led by guards Nate Johnson (14.0 PPG) and Tavari Johnson (13.0 PPG) and features a balanced scoring effort from a number of players. They shoot better than 36 percent behind the 3-point arc, but a game closer to 50% could put Arizona in trouble. Will the Zips be able to defend Arizona's big men effectively, and if not, it could be a long night for the MAC champions. See which team to pick here.

How to make Arizona vs. Akron picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 158 combined points. It also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Akron vs. Arizona, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Akron vs. Arizona spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,000 on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.