We all have our own struggles and for the University of Akron, it’s playing college football. The Akron Zips are looking for their first victory in more than two years, and they will enter Tuesday night’s game heading to Dix Stadium where they will match up with the Kent State Golden Flashes.
Akron is 0-2 this season with losses by 45 points to Western Michigan, followed by a 14-point defeat to Ohio last Tuesday. There isn’t a whole lot of reason for optimism for a program really struggling to be competitive team. Though only two games have been played, Akron is ranked dead last in turnover margin at -2.5. Sometimes turnovers can be lucky and let’s hope so for the Zips sake. The Zips are ranked No. 125 out of 127 teams in the SP+ rankings, though it’s a limited sample size comparing teams with unbalanced schedules so far in 2020.
So what abut Kent State? The Golden Flashes are off to a fine start, going 2-0 so far this season as oddsmakers predicted heading into their first two games, most recently a 62-24 dismantling of Bowling Green. Dustin Crum is off to a hot start, throwing six touchdowns in the first two games. He is leading an offense that is averaging 6.4 yards per play, which is 23rd in the country.
Kent State snapped a four-game losing streak in this series when it defeated Akron 26-3 on the road in 2019.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
You can watch Akron vs. Kent State on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Point spread: Akron vs. Kent State (-26)
Point Total: 58
Money line: Akron (+1200) vs. Ohio (-3335)
- Akron is riding a 19-game losing streak and in that span dating back to November 2018, the Zips have a 4-15 record against the spread.
- Kent State has a six-game winning streak and is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games.
- Kent State overs cashed in five of its last seven games, and Akron hit the over in three of its last five.
Betting splits
Akron: (14% of handle, 18% of bets)
Kent State: (86% of handle, 82% of bets)
The Best Bet
For as bad as Akron has been in recent history, let’s give the Zippers some credit. They did not get blown out last week and actually covered the spread, something they accomplished just one time in the 2019 season. It’s not enough to trust Akron moving forward, but it has me inclined to take the over instead of strictly fading the Zips. Kent State reached this point total by itself in last week’s game, and there’s at least a decent chance it does the same on Tuesday night. Sit back and watch the points flood in.
Pick: Over 58
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