The opening game in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh features the Akron Zips battling off against the Creighton Blue Jays. This tilt pits the 14th seed against the 3rd seed from the Midwest Region. The winner of this contest will advance to the second round on Saturday, facing off against the winner of the South Carolina versus Oregon matchup. Before this exciting matchup tips off, here’s a look at the scores and odds to help you make your predictions
Akron enters the game with a 24-10 record, having secured three straight wins in the MAC Tournament after finishing second in the regular season. Their win on Saturday was a narrow one-point win over Kent State.
Akron vs Creighton Picks
- Pick: Akron Zips +11.5
On the other hand, Creighton boasts a 23-9 record for the season, with a 7-3 record in their last ten NCAAB matchups. Despite finishing third in the Big East regular season, they stumbled against Providence last Thursday in the conference tournament.
Let’s take a look at the Akron vs Creighton odds while you download your FREE bracket!!
Akron Zips vs Creighton Blue Jays Odds
In one of the many NCAA Basketball games today – here are the Akron vs Creighton odds:
- Spread: Creighton Blue Jays -11.5, Akron Zips +11.5
- Total: 141.5
- Moneyline: Creighton Blue Jays -1200, Akron Zips +700
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Akron Zips vs Creighton Blue Jays Information
Before our College Basketball bets, some information on these two NCAA Basketball teams:
Akron Zips (24-10) vs Creighton Blue Jays (23-9)
Location of the game: PPG Paints Arena; Pittsburgh, PA
Date & Time: Thursday March 21st, 2024; 1:30 pm EST
How to Watch: TNT
Akron Zips vs Creighton Blue Jays Betting Preview
The Akron Zips are excited to have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Their win in the MAC title game against the Golden Flashes was hard-fought and came down to the final seconds. The Zips suffered losses in their final two regular-season games against Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan, losing by an average of 3.5 points.
In non-conference play, Akron began with an exciting4-0 record but faced three straight losses, two of which were against tournament teams: Utah State and Drake, with the third loss against UNLV. Also, they fell to St. Bonaventure just before the New Year.
Leading the scoring charge for Akron this season is Enrique Freeman, averaging an impressive 18.6 points per game along with being one of the nation’s top rebounders, averaging 12.9 per game.
Under Coach McDermott’s guidance, the Creighton Blue Jays maintain their reputation as one of the best shooting college basketball teams. Their ability to consistently convert shots is a defining characteristic of the team.
This season, they’re averaging 80.5 points per game and making over 10 three-pointers per game. Baylor Scheierman leads the scoring for the Blue Jays with 18.4 points per game, followed by Trey Alexander at 17.6 and Ryan Kalkbrenner at 17.1 points per game.
The Creighton Bluejays began the season with five consecutive wins but faced their first loss against Colorado State, who secured a victory on Tuesday night in the play-in game. They also suffered a non-conference loss to UNLV.
Akron Zips vs Creighton Blue Jays Betting Picks
When looking at the Akron vs Creighton odds, we are going to take the Akron Zips to cover this spread. Creighton can shoot the basketball. There is no doubt about that. But, look for Akron to do the best they can to keep the score down and guard the Blue Jays. The Creighton Blue Jays are pretty big favorites and with a low-scoring game, we expect the Zips to be able to compete here.
When push comes to shove, we are going to take the underdog to cover in this game. Our final bet for this game is the Akron Zips +12.5 over the Creighton Blue Jays. Enjoy the game and best of luck with all your NCAA Tournament betting!
- Pick: Akron Zips +11.5
Discover the latest stats and trends of this matchup here.
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