The Akron Zips (21-10) travel to face off against the Creighton Bluejays (23-8) on Thursday, March 21st. This game will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and televised on TNT. Akron is coming off a win in their previous game, while Creighton is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Providence. Tip-off is set for 1:30 ET.
Akron Zips vs Creighton Bluejays
The Akron Zips Are Coming Off A Win
After winning their last game, the Akron Zips will look to pull off the upset as 12.5-point underdogs against the Creighton Bluejays. Akron has gone 21-10 this season and has won four straight games. In their last game, the Zips defeated Kent State by a score of 62-61.
So far this season, Akron has gone 8-8 on the road, and their average scoring margin in these games is +1.7. Over their last 10 road games, the Zips have gone 5-5, and their record as the underdog is 2-7. Overall, they have been the underdog in nine of their 31 games.
As the underdog, Akron has gone 4-5 vs. the spread this season and 17-16 overall. On the road, the Zips are just 6-10 vs. the spread and 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog.
Today’s over/under line of 140 is lower than the average over/under line in Akron’s games this season (140.8). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total in those games is 129 points.
The Creighton Bluejays Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Through 31 games, Creighton is 23-8 overall and 14-7 in Big East games. At home, the Bluejays are 14-4, and they have gone 9-5 on the road.
Creighton is favored in today’s game by 12.5 points, and they have been the favorite in 29 of their 31 games. So far, they are 22-7 as the favorite.
Creighton’s ATS record this season is 17-15, but they have gone just 8-10 vs. the spread at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bluejays are 6-4 ATS.
Creighton’s over/under record for the season sits at 16-16, and the average scoring total in their games is 150.2 points. Today’s over/under line of 140 is lower than the average OU line in their games (148.3). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1, and the average scoring total in those games is 150 points.
Akron Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Akron offense ended with 62 points against Kent State. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 39.6% and made 8 threes. Enrique Freeman is leading the team in scoring at 18.6 points per contest. Ali Ali has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 15.6 going into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrique Freeman (F) | 18.6 | 12.9 | 1.6 |
| Ali Ali (G) | 15.6 | 4.1 | 2.8 |
| Greg Tribble (G) | 10.5 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
Creighton Offense Breakdown
In contrast to their season average of 80.5 points per game, the Creighton had a below average performance. They scored 73 points against Providence and had a field goal percentage of 37.9%. The team’s top scorer is Baylor Scheierman, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 18.4, while Trey Alexander also maintains a PPG average of 17.6 leading up to the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor Scheierman (G) | 18.4 | 9.0 | 4.0 |
| Trey Alexander (G) | 17.6 | 5.7 | 4.8 |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner (C) | 17.1 | 7.4 | 1.3 |
Akron Team Defense
This season, the Akron defense has been impressive, holding the 27th position in the country while permitting an average of 65.7 points per contest. Akron’s three-point defense is currently 51st in the country at 5.9 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.2% of their shots vs. Akron.
Creighton Team Defense
So far, the Bluejays’ defense is ranked 106th in the country at 69.7 points per contest. Creighton will look once again to perform well on defense, holding Providence to just 37% shooting in their most recent game.
Zips vs Bluejays Trends
- Through their last three road games, Akron has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 71 points per game.
- Creighton has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 71 points per game while allowing 68. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
- As the betting underdog, the Zips have an ATS mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Akron posted a straight up mark of 2-8 in these matchups.
- Through their last three games as the favorite, the Bluejays have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 2-1.
Zips vs Bluejays Prediction
In this Bluejays vs. Bluejays matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Bluejays at -12.5. While we project the Bluejays to win 76-69, our recommendation is to bet on the Zips for the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 140 and our model has the Zips and Bluejays finishing with a combined 145 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 19, 2024 Akron Zips, Seton Hall Pirates