Ohio Bobcats vs Akron Zips Betting Pick & Prediction 3/15/24
Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Bobcats and Zips. The game is starting at 7:30 ET on CBSS, and it’s hosted by the Zips at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this Mid-American conference contest is set at 141.5 points, with Akron being favored by -2.5 at home against Ohio.
OHIO BOBCATS VS AKRON ZIPS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Akron Zips -2.5
This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 7:30 ET on Friday, March 15th.
WHY BET THE AKRON ZIPS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Zips.
- Not only will Akron pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 141.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.
Can the Bobcats Pull Off a Road Win?
Ohio heads into this one with a 19-12 record, including a 14-5 mark in Mid-American Conference play. They have won seven straight games, with their latest being an 82-55 victory over Western Michigan. On the road, the Bobcats are 5-7 this season, and they are 3-0 in their last three games away from home.
For the year, Ohio has been the underdog in five games, going 1-4 in those contests. As the underdog, they are 1.6 points better than their opponents on average. So far, the Bobcats have been the underdog in just 5 of their 31 games.
As the underdog this season, Ohio has an ATS mark of just 2-3. However, over their last three games as the underdog, the Bobcats have gone 2-1 ATS. On the road, Ohio is 6-6 vs. the spread this year, but they have a perfect 3-0 ATS mark in their last three road games and a 6-4 record ATS in their last 10 road contests.
Ohio’s over/under record for the season sits at 13-18 and today’s line of 141.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (149.6). On the year, 19 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 137 points and their OU record during this stretch is 0-3.
In their most recent game, the Bobcats’ offense tallied 82 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 77.8 points per game. The top scorer for the Bobcats was Shereef Mitchell with 15 points, while Miles Brown also added 13 to the scoreboard.
At present, the Bobcats’ defense is nationally ranked 117th, allowing 70.1 points per game. Against Western Michigan in their most recent game, the Ohio defense gave up a total of 55 points while allowing Western Michigan to hit 41% of their shots.
Will the Zips Defense Show Up at Home?
Heading into today’s game against Ohio, Akron is 21-10 overall, including a 14-5 record in Mid-American Conference play. At home, the Zips are 12-2, and they are 18-3 this season when favored.
In their last game, the Zips defeated Miami (OH), 75-63. Over their last ten games at home, Akron has gone 9-1, and they are 4-1 over their last five.
As the favorite this season, Akron is 11-10 vs. the spread. In their last 10 games as the favorite, the Zips have gone 5-5 vs. the spread. At home, Akron’s ATS record is 9-5 this year.
This season, the over/under record for Akron games is 12-18. On average, their games have finished with 140.1 points per game, compared to an average over/under line of 141.2. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 144 points.
The Akron offense is coming off a game where they scored 75 points against Miami (OH). They posted a field goal percentage of 47% and connected on 3 threes. Enrique Freeman led the scoring for the Zips, contributing 30 points. Additionally, Ali Ali chipped in with 14 points.
So far, the Zips’ defense is ranked 33rd in the country at 66.1 points per contest. Akron’s three-point defense is currently 51st in the country at 6.1 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.7% of their shots vs. Akron.