Akron Zips vs Central Michigan Chippewas Prediction, 3/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Akron Zips vs Central Michigan Chippewas

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Location: McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, MI

TV: ESPN+

McGuirk Arena is where the Central Michigan Chippewas (9-19) will attempt to beat the Akron Zips (24-5) on Tuesday.

The Akron Zips played Kent State and walked away with a win by a score of 92-70 in their last game. Akron finished the game with a 55.2% FG percentage (32 of 58) and knocked down 14 of their 28 3-pointers. When they shot from the free throw line, the Zips converted 14 of 18 attempts for a percentage of 77.8%. With respect to hauling in rebounds, they earned 32 with 7 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 20 assists for this game while creating 14 turnovers and earning 7 steals. Regarding the defense, Akron allowed 43.3% from the field on 26 of 60 shooting. Kent State recorded 17 dimes and had 8 steals for this contest. On top of that, Kent State totaled 25 rebounds (9 offensive, 16 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Kent State shot 45.5% when shooting free throws by knocking down 5 of 11 tries. They buried 13 of 32 tries from 3-point land. When discussing personal fouls, the Zips ended up with 14 and Kent State totaled 14 personal fouls.

Shammah Scott is one guy who was a contributor in this contest. He finished shooting 77.8% from the field but had no assists at the end of the game. He was on the hardwood for 26 minutes and grabbed 1 rebound. He ended up with 23 points on 7 out of 9 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

Akron comes into this game with a mark of 24-5 so far this year. They lose possession via turnover 11.0 times per game and as a team they commit 15.9 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, Akron is pulling down 38.0 rebounds per game and has 552 dimes on the campaign, which ranks 5th in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Zips are connecting on 37.8% on 3-point shots (316 of 837) and 77.9% from the charity stripe. They average 89.9 points per outing (5th in Division 1) while hitting 50.5% from the field.

On defense, the Zips have forced 13.8 turnovers per contest while drawing 15.7 fouls. They are 209th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 392 conceded for the season. The Zips defense is allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 42.3% (754 of 1,781) and they relinquish 33.3 boards per game as a squad. They give up 35.2% from 3-point land and they are 211th in the country in points per game allowed (74.7).

In their last game, the Central Michigan Chippewas took home the win by a final score of 75-70 when they faced Buffalo. When talking about how they attacked the glass, Central Michigan allowed Buffalo to pull down 21 in all (6 on the offensive side). They shot 34.8% from downtown via 8 of 23 and ended up going 6 out of 9 from the free throw line (66.7%). The Chippewas permitted Buffalo to bury 28 of their 59 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 47.5% for this contest. When the game finished, the Chippewas ended up shooting 26 out of 55 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 47.3%. In reference to 3-point attempts, Central Michigan converted 9 of 22 tries (40.9%). They were able to make 14 of the free throws for a percentage of 82.4%. Buffalo committed 18 fouls for the matchup which took the Chippewas to the charity stripe for a total of 17 attempts. They turned the ball over 15 times, while earning 4 steals in the game. The Chippewas corralled 25 defensive boards and 12 offensive boards for a total of 37 in the matchup.

Tamario Adley ended up having an impact for the Chippewas in this game. He totaled 21 points in his 35 minutes on the hardwood, but wrapped up this contest with no dimes. He made 7 out of 13 for this game for a field goal percentage of 53.8%, and earned 4 rebounds.

Central Michigan has a win-loss mark of 9-19 on the year. The Chippewas are committing 18.1 fouls every game and they connect on 70.0% from the charity stripe. They are earning an assist 15.0 times per contest (111th in college) and they turn the ball over 12.5 times per game. Central Michigan has scored 2,067 pts for the campaign (73.8 per game) and they collect 32.8 rebounds per game. When it comes to offense, the Chippewas are hitting on 46.7% from the field, which has them ranked 100th in college.

The Central Michigan defense allows 34.1% from downtown (214 of 628) and their opponents are making 68.9% of their free throw attempts. They concede 15.4 assists and 35.7 boards every game, which is 308th and 262nd in the nation. The Chippewas on defense are ranked 261st in college in points given up per game with 76.9. They are forcing their opponents into 12.4 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 45.8% from the field (276th in college hoops).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Akron

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.