Akron Zips vs Kent State Golden Flashes Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Akron vs Kent State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Kent.

Akron vs Kent State Prediction

The Zips and Golden Flashes are set to face off at 7:00 ET on CBSS. The Golden Flashes will host the game at MAC Center in Kent, OH. The odds for this Mid-American conference game currently have Kent State as the -1.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 143.5 points.

Akron vs. Kent State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Akron Zips at Kent State Golden Flashes
Where: Kent at MAC Center
Date: Friday, January 31st
Betting Odds KENTST -1.5, AKRON +103 | KENTST -125 O/U 143.5

Zips Preview: Will the Zips Exceed Expectations on the Road?

Akron Zips Recent Game/Games

Akron improved to 13-5 on the season with an 80-70 win over Northern Illinois on Tuesday. The Zips, who were -15.5 favorites, didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 150 fell short of the O/U line of 154.5.

Akron led 37-33 at halftime and scored 43 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37. They’ll look to build on this win as they continue their season.

Zips Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Akron's offense put up 80 points, shooting 42.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. They hit 56.7% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 30.3% of their 33 three-point attempts. At the free-throw line, the Zips shot 76.2%, making 16 of 21 attempts.

Quentin Jones led the way with 25 points and 6 rebounds, shooting 56.2% from the field. James Dent Jr. added 22 points, hitting 4 of 10 from three-point range. Tavari Johnson contributed 21 points in 26 minutes, shooting 63.6% overall and 50% from deep.

Zips Team Defense

Despite the Akron Zips' defensive efforts, they allowed 70 points in their previous game. The opposing team shot 39% from the field, hitting 22 of their 56 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Akron's defense held their opponents to 30% shooting, with 7 made threes on 23 attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 19 of those opportunities, shooting 65%.

Golden Flashes Preview: Does Kent State Have a Shot at a Home Win?

Kent State Golden Flashes Recent Game/Games

Kent State improved to 11-7 on the season with a 75-57 home win over Bowling Green on Tuesday. The Golden Flashes entered the game as -12 favorites and covered the spread.

After leading 41-23 at halftime, Kent State and Bowling Green each scored 34 points in the 2nd half. The total points for the game were 132, falling short of the O/U line of 141.5.

Golden Flashes Offense Breakdown

Kent State put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 51.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 61.1%. They connected on 45.5% of their three-point attempts, hitting 10 of 22 from deep, while shooting 56.2% on two-pointers.

VonCameron Davis led the way with 24 points, shooting 62.5% overall and 57.1% from three-point range. Marcus Johnson added 21 points, hitting 4 threes, and Cian Medley contributed 12 points and 10 assists.

Golden Flashes Team Defense

Despite Kent State giving up 57 points, they allowed their opponent to shoot 51% from the field, with 28 made baskets on 54 attempts. The Golden Flashes' defense struggled to contain two-point shots, as their opponent hit 18 of 32 for 56%.

From beyond the arc, Kent State's defense allowed 10 threes on 22 attempts, a 45% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the line 13 times, where they converted 9 free throws, shooting 69%. Kent State gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Zips vs Golden Flashes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Zips have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 77 points per game in this stretch.
Across their last five home contests, Kent State has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 66 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Zips have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Akron posted a straight up mark of 0-5 in these matchups.
Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Kent State has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.