Akron Zips vs Kent State Golden Flashes Prediction, 1/19/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Akron Zips vs Kent State Golden Flashes

Date: Friday, January 19, 2024

Location: M.A.C. Center in Kent, OH

TV: ESPN

The Kent State Golden Flashes (9-8) are welcoming the Akron Zips (13-4) at M.A.C. Center on Friday.

The Akron Zips took the court against Western Michigan and took home the win by a score of 77-66 in their last game. Akron ended having earned a 50.9% FG percentage (29 out of 57) and converted 7 of their 17 shots from distance. From the charity stripe, the Zips converted 12 of their 14 tries for a percentage of 85.7%. In relation to rebounding, they earned a total of 29 with 7 of them being offensive. They also distributed 16 assists for the matchup as well as forcing 11 turnovers and having 7 steals. Concerning defending, Akron allowed the other team to shoot 45.0% from the field on 27 of 60 shooting. Western Michigan totaled 12 assists and had 6 steals for this contest. Moreover, Western Michigan collected 26 rebounds (8 offensive, 18 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Western Michigan finished the game at 80.0% from the charity stripe by converting 4 of their 5 tries. They also converted 8 of their 21 shots from beyond the perimeter. In regard to personal fouls, the Zips left the arena with 11 and Western Michigan recorded 14 personal fouls.

Enrique Freeman is someone who was a factor for the matchup. He accounted for 20 points on 9 of 16 shooting. He played for 32 mins and also collected 14 rebounds. He ended up shooting 56.3% from the floor and distributed 1 assist.

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Akron heads into this game with a record of 13-4 so far this year. They have an average of 77.1 points per game (112th in college hoops) while connecting on 47.3% from the field. The Zips are shooting 35.8% on three-point attempts (152 of 424) and 72.2% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Akron is pulling down 36.2 rebounds per contest and has accounted for 254 dimes so far this season, which ranks 111th in the country in terms of passing the ball. They turn the ball over 11.7 times per game and as a squad they commit 15.6 fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end of the court, the Zips have forced 13.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 17.3 fouls. They surrender 31.8% on three-point shots and they rank 49th in the country in opponents points per game (65.6). The Zips defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 42.9% (419 of 976) and they concede 31.8 rebounds per game as a group. They are currently ranked 126th in the nation in giving up assists to their opponents with 206 surrendered for the campaign.

For their last game, the Kent State Golden Flashes went home victorious with a score of 83-76 against Northern Illinois. The Golden Flashes earned 18 defensive boards and 6 offensive rebounds for a total of 24 in this game. They coughed up the ball 13 times, while recording 7 steals in this game. Northern Illinois committed 15 personal fouls in this contest which got the Golden Flashes to the free throw line for 14 tries. They were able to knock down 8 of those for a clip of 57.1%. When discussing 3-point shots, Kent State converted 11 of their 23 tries (47.8%). When the final whistle was blown, the Golden Flashes walked away from this one shooting 32 out of 53 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 60.4%. The Golden Flashes allowed Northern Illinois to make 28 of their 55 attempts from the floor which left them shooting 50.9% for the game. They finished the game shooting 56.5% from 3-point land by going 13 of 23 and ended up going 7 of 10 at the charity stripe (70.0%). When discussing rebounding, Kent State permitted Northern Illinois to pull down 20 in total (6 on the offensive side).

Reggie Bass was important for the Golden Flashes in the game. He buried 8 of 13 for this contest for a field goal rate of 61.5%, and totaled 3 rebounds. He racked up 23 points in his 28 minutes on the hardwood and accounted for 1 assist in this contest.

Kent State has a mark of 9-8 on the season. The Golden Flashes are responsible for committing 17.6 fouls per contest and they hit 76.8% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 13.4 times per game (195th in the country) and they are turning it over 13.1 times per contest. Kent State has totaled 1,330 pts so far this season (78.2 per contest) and they average 34.6 rebounds per contest. As an offensive unit, the Golden Flashes are hitting on 45.5% from the floor, which is 142nd in college basketball.

The Kent State defense surrenders 35.8% on 3-point attempts (143 of 399) and opponents are knocking down 68.9% of their foul shots. They have conceded 14.3 dimes and 32.8 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is 292nd and 80th in college hoops. The Golden Flashes are ranked 252nd in college basketball in points per game surrendered with 73.9. They are able to force 14.8 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 45.9% from the floor (324th in college basketball).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Kent State

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