Buffalo Bulls vs Akron Zips Prediction, 2/24/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Buffalo Bulls vs Akron Zips

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Location: James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, OH

TV: ESPN+

The Akron Zips (22-5) will compete against the Buffalo Bulls (16-11) at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday.

The Buffalo Bulls played UMass and took home the win by a score of 86-82 in their last contest. When it comes to personal fouls, the Bulls ended up with 16 while UMass finished the game with 23 personal fouls. They also made 9 out of their 25 shots from distance. UMass shot 59.1% from the free throw line by knocking down 13 of 22 shots. Moreover, UMass pulled down 33 rebounds (11 offensive, 22 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. UMass earned 21 assists and had 7 steals for this contest. In the matter of defending, Buffalo allowed their opponent to shoot 51.7% from the floor on 30 of 58 shooting. They also doled out 18 assists for the matchup in addition to forcing the opposition into 14 turnovers and having 11 steals. When it comes to grabbing boards, they earned 23 with 5 of them being offensive. At the free throw line, the Bulls made 22 of their 30 attempts for a percentage of 73.3%. Buffalo finished the contest with a 48.1% FG percentage (26 out of 54) and converted 12 of their 24 shots from beyond the arc.

Angelo Brizzi is one player who played a role in this contest. He scored 27 points on 7 out of 15 shooting. He was on the court for 34 minutes and grabbed 2 rebounds. He ended up going 46.7% from the field and also recorded 4 dimes.

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Buffalo comes into this contest with a win-loss record of 16-11 for the season. They currently have an average of 78.6 pts per game (123rd in the nation) while shooting 47.6% from the field. The Bulls are hitting 38.9% on shots from beyond the arc (262 of 673) and 73.9% from the free throw line. As a team, Buffalo is collecting 31.8 rebounds per contest and has accounted for 399 assists this season, which has them ranked 158th in D-1 in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 10.9 times per contest and as a team they commit 16.1 personal fouls every game.

When they are on defense, the Bulls are forcing 12.1 turnovers every game and they draw 17.7 fouls. They are currently ranked 316th in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 428 surrendered for the year. The Bulls defensively are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 46.8% (725 of 1,548) and they relinquish 33.1 rebounds per game as a squad. They are conceding 34.4% from beyond the arc and they are 220th in college in opponents PPG (75.0).

In their last game, the Akron Zips walked away with a victory by a final of 78-65 against Ball State. With respect to attacking the glass, Akron permitted Ball State to snag 30 in total (8 on the offensive side). They finished 46.4% from beyond the perimeter by connecting on 13 of 28 and ended up shooting 6 of 9 from the free throw line (66.7%). The Zips allowed Ball State to convert 23 of their 58 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 39.7% in the game. When the final whistle was blown, the Zips ended up going 29 out of 64 from the field which had them shooting 45.3%. Concerning 3-point attempts, Akron made 9 of 29 attempts (31.0%). They were able to convert 11 of them for a rate of 73.3%. Ball State had 16 personal fouls in this matchup which got the Zips to the charity stripe for 15 tries. They also gave up possession of the ball 9 times, while recording 7 steals for the matchup. The Zips snagged 26 defensive boards and 12 offensive rebounds for a total of 38 in the game.

Amani Lyles ended up being a factor for the Zips for the game. He buried 9 of 16 for the matchup giving him a rate of 56.3%, and accounted for 8 rebounds. He racked up 26 points in his 34 mins of playing time and had 1 assist in this game.

Akron has a record of 22-5 this year. As an offensive team, the Zips are hitting on 50.2% from the floor, which ranks 14th in the nation. Akron has scored 2,415 pts on the campaign (89.4 per contest) and they average 38.0 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 19.0 times per game (5th in college) and they are giving up possession 10.7 times per game. The Zips are committing 15.8 personal fouls every game while shooting 77.1% from the free throw line.

The Akron defense allows 35.3% on shots from beyond the arc (255 of 722) and their opponents are making 73.4% of their shots from the free throw line. They surrender 13.5 assists and 33.4 boards per contest, which is ranked 191st and 122nd in college hoops. The Zips on the defensive side of the court are 208th in college in points given up per game with 74.5. They are able to force 13.8 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 42.5% from the floor (88th in college hoops).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Buffalo

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