Akron Zips vs Yale Bulldogs NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/20/24

Planning on watching today’s Zips and Bulldogs game? Catch the action at Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX, as the Bulldogs hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 155.5 points, and Yale is favored by -3.5 vs. Akron.

AKRON ZIPS VS YALE BULLDOGS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Yale Bulldogs -3.5

This game will be played at Don Haskins Center at 7:00 ET on Friday, December 20th.

WHY BET THE YALE BULLDOGS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Bulldogs.
• Not only will Yale pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -3.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 155.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.

Will the Zips Make it Happen on the Road?

Akron’s season record dropped to 4-3 after a 100-81 road loss to Milwaukee on Sunday. The Zips entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs but failed to cover the spread.

Milwaukee led 58-45 at halftime, and Akron couldn’t close the gap, scoring 36 points in the 2nd half while allowing 42. The game’s total points of 181 exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 155.5.

In their last game, Akron’s offense put up 81 points, shooting 47.2% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 52.8%, though they struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 45.5% of their attempts.

Themus Fulks led the way with 23 points and 7 assists, while Tavari Johnson added 22 points. Jamichael Stillwell was a force on the boards, grabbing 18 rebounds, and Erik Pratt was efficient from deep, hitting 4 of 5 threes.

Akron’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 100 points on 57% shooting from the field. Their opponents went 26/45 (57%) on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, Akron allowed 11 threes on 19 attempts, also at a 57% clip. They sent their opponents to the line 20 times, where they converted 15 free throws (75%). Akron also gave up 12 offensive rebounds.

Can Yale Deliver Being Favored at Home?

Yale Bulldogs Recent Game/Games

Yale improved to 4-5 on the season with a 65-50 win over Vermont on Saturday. The Bulldogs, who were favored by six points, covered the spread with the victory. The game’s total points of 115 fell short of the 134.5 O/U line.

Yale trailed 24-22 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, scoring 43 points while holding Vermont to 26. The strong second half was key in securing the win at home.

Yale put up 65 points in their last game, shooting 44.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 51.9%. They connected on 40% of their threes (8/20) and were strong from the free-throw line, hitting 84.6% (11/13).

TJ Hurley led the way with 21 points, hitting 5 of 8 from deep (62.5%), while Casey Simmons added 18 points, shooting 7/10 overall and perfect from three. Yale finished with 10 offensive rebounds and 16 assists as a team.

Yale’s defense held their opponent to 50 points, even though they allowed a 44% shooting performance from the field, with the other team hitting 23 of 52 shots.

From beyond the arc, Yale’s opponent shot 40%, making 8 of 20 three-pointers. They also went 11/13 from the free-throw line, shooting 84%. Yale gave up 10 offensive rebounds.