The Akron Zips (24-9) and UCLA Bruins (25-7) prepare to face off on Thursday night.
Last games records
Akron booked their first trip to the NCAA tournament with their win over Kent State on Saturday. The Zips have a daunting road ahead of them, so they will look to play as hard as they can and hope for the best moving forward.
UCLA defeated Washington State and USC in the Pac-12 tournament game before ultimately losing to Arizona in the Pac-12 championship game. The Bruins will look to take care of business against Akron on Thursday.
Matchup Information
Tip-off is scheduled for 9:50 P.M. EST at the Moda Center in Portland, OR on Wednesday, March 17th.
Let’s take a look at the March Madness betting odds for this game.
Akron at UCLA Betting Analysis
Akron Zips Betting Analysis
The Zips have enjoyed a productive campaign up to this point. Obviously, the majority of the March Madness bets will be placed against them, but Akron could upset the spread if they play their cards right.
They are coming off of a 20 point victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes. Enrique Freeman led the charge for the Zips with 23 points and eight rebounds in the contest. Ali Ali and Xavier Castaneda both added 15 points each as well in the win.
Akron entered the matchup listed as a narrow underdog according to the majority of top sportsbooks, but they easily upset the spread.
Rolling with an underdog like this is risky but could pay huge dividends for those betting on March Madness. Akron enters play against UCLA listed as anywhere from 12-14 point underdogs against the Bruins. However, they could close the gap towards the end of the game with a strong performance.
UCLA Bruins Betting Analysis
UCLA should win on Thursday. But when it comes to March and college basketball, anything can happen.
The Bruins were defeated by Arizona over the weekend as the Wildcats clinched the Big 12. Jules Bernard led the way for UCLA with 19 points, while Jamie Jaquez Jr. added 18 points and ten rebounds.
Johnny Juzang was held to 16 points on 7-15 shooting in the contest. Juzang leads UCLA in points per game this season with a mark of 16.7, so he will try to rebound in this affair against the Zips.
The Bruins are listed as No. 4 entering Thursday’s action. This is a talented team that could realistically make some noise in the tournament. They are liable to break out on offense on any night, and their defense is strong enough to keep them in games.
But they will need to focus on the task at hand and get the job done against Akron before they start worrying about the long haul.
Team Updates
Akron is looking to take advantage of playing in the tournament for the first time in almost ten years.
- Akron is 18-14 ATS this season.
- UCLA is 17-14-1 ATS this year.
- The Bruins are 2-3 ATS when playing at a neutral site.
- The Zips are 4-2 ATS when playing at a neutral site.
- UCLA is 16-11-1 ATS as a favorite.
- Akron is 9-2 ATS as an underdog.
Akron at UCLA Betting Preview
Does Akron have a realistic chance of defeating UCLA on Thursday night? Technically, yes, but I certainly would not place my money on it. The Bruins feature too much star-power to truly consider the Zips as an underdog pick.
Taking the Zips to cover the spread would not be the worst bet in the world, but I would also be wary about that. UCLA has the talent to take care of business in this matchup, so placing your money on them is the smart bet.
Akron at UCLA Betting Prediction
Bet on the UCLA Bruin.
How to Bet on Akron Zips at UCLA Bruins
The majority of betting guides favor UCLA by 12-14 points. I like the Bruins as the spread selection because there is a chance that this contest turns into a complete blowout.
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