The Akron Zips take on the Ohio Bobcats in Athens, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Akron is favored by 8.5 points on the spread with a price of 80 cents to win and the total set at 168.5 points on Fanatics Markets.
Here’s my Akron vs. Ohio prediction and college basketball picks for January 23, 2026.
Akron vs Ohio Prediction
My Pick: Akron -8.5 (Play to -11)
My Akron vs Ohio best bet is on the Zips to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Akron vs. Ohio Odds
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Akron vs Ohio College Basketball Betting Preview
Akron Basketball
Akron has put together quite an impressive season, as it's 15-4 overall with its only loss in league play coming on the road by three against Miami (OH). The Zips had several opportunities to seize control of that contest against the undefeated RedHawks, but they let it slip away.
Despite that, Akron is a legitimate threat to win the MAC and could put a major scare into one of the “big boys” in the NCAA Tournament (should the Zips be fortunate enough to get there).
John Groce has this offense humming, as the Zips are the 20th-most efficient offense in the country, per KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric.
Akron has shooters all over the floor and it's not afraid to let it rip.
Tavari Johnson averages 20 points per game with slash percentages of 54/39/91. Amani Lyles, Shammah Scott and Evan Mahaffey all average double figures in scoring, and the Zips are an excellent passing team with four players who have accumulated 44 or more assists.
Akron protects the ball well, plays free-flowing transition basketball and gets to the rim a ton. This is a dangerous bunch, to say the least.
The defense has been good, by MAC standards, but the Zips aren't equipped with an elite stop unit. On occasion, Akron will catch an opponent with an off shooting night, and the on-ball pressure can create some problems for the opposition.
Broad brush painting reveals that the Zips are built to outscore you, not lock you down with their defense.
Ohio Basketball
Ohio profiles similarly in nature to Akron — to a lesser degree in that the Bobcats are much more proficient on the offensive end of the floor.
Ohio plays with tempo, and Jackson Paveletzke can score the ball from a variety of spots on the floor. He leads the team in scoring with 17.7 points per game, while Aidan Hadaway (14.3 PPG) and Javan Simmons (13.5 PPG) round out the double-figure scorers.
The Bobcats' defense has really struggled at times this season, while ranking 244th in overall adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Ohio is a poor defensive rebounding team, and it struggles to defend the 3-point arc, two things you don’t want to be bad at when Akron comes to town.
In order to stay in this game, Ohio is going to have to defend well on the perimeter and rebound the ball.
Akron vs. Ohio Betting Analysis
This line opened Akron -8.5 with a total that sits at 169.5. I'm going to lay it with the Zips on the road here.
Ohio ranks 297th nationally in preventing offensive rebounds, and Akron is an exquisite offensive rebounding team, averaging a dozen per game. I'm not confident that Ohio is going to be able to limit second-chance opportunities, making an already potent offense even more dangerous.
Ohio has seen a ton of 3-point shots against it, and its opponents are hitting these outside shots at a clip of 37% on the season. The Zips have three players who have buried 40 or more 3s on the season, and Akron figures to shoot a ton of 3s in this game.
This is a bad matchup for Ohio defensively, facing a great shooting team that can also procure second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds. That's a lethal combination.
Akron provides a fair amount of on-ball pressure and Ohio struggles with turnovers. Watch for Akron to find several run-out opportunities in this one.
Fast break chances and points off of turnovers should heavily favor Akron.
I would figure this game is close and competitive for a while, but Akron is too talented and should shred this Ohio defense.
I won’t be surprised if the Zips threaten to score 100 on Friday.
My Pick: Akron -8.5 (Play to -11)
