Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Super Bowl
For the second time in two weeks, the Akron Zips (17-7, 9-12-1 ATS, 9-2 MAC) are playing the Ohio Bobcats (13-11, 11-11-1 ATS, 5-6 MAC), this time in Athens, Ohio. The Zips won the first meeting 83-77, leading for the entire second half and narrowly covering as 5.5-point favorites. The Bobcats get to host this time though, hoping to win a third straight. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST in Ohio's Convocation Center.
An eight-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday when Akron fell to Toledo. The 10-point loss dropped the Zips into a three-way tie for first in the MAC with Toledo and Kent State. Akron trailed for the entire second half at home. Xavier Castaneda once again led the team in scoring, dropping 23 in the loss.
Despite the loss, Bracketology still predicts Akron to win the MAC and qualify for the NCAA tournament as a 14-seed. KenPom has Akron ranked at 107, behind Toledo and Kent State among MAC teams. Their adjusted tempo is 315th, making them one of the nation's slowest teams.
Predictably, their pace leads to only 72.0 points per game, ninth in the MAC. However, they're 11th in the 12-team conference in shooting percentage, at 43.1% as a team. They compare much more favorably from beyond the arc, hitting 35.0% of their threes which is fifth in the conference.
D efensively, they allow 63.6 points per game, the fewest in the MAC. That number is 35th in the nation. They hold foes to 42.0% shooting and 33.3% on threes, second and third in the conference, respectively. Opponents only attempt 14.6 free throws per game against the Zips, the fewest in the MAC and 40th best mark in the country.
No House Advantage: Bet on player over/unders VS THE HOUSE to 21x your bet OR play in PICK 'EM contests against other people! Click here to get a 1st deposit match up to $100 1st w/ promocode WandW!