Akron Zips vs Central Michigan Chippewas Betting Picks & Predictions

Game outlook

Akron is on the road playing Central Michigan at the McGuirk Arena stadium on Tuesday, 1/17/2023 @ 7:00pm EST. Akron -7.5 was the opening favorite and line hasn't moved.

Taking the court on Tuesday at McGuirk Arena will be the Akron Zips (11-6 SU, 5-10 ATS) and the Central Michigan Chippewas (7-10 SU, 8-7 ATS). On Friday, the Zips beat Eastern Michigan 104-67 on the road. A win in overtime on Saturday gave the Chippewas a 5-2 record at home. Last season, Akron beat Central Michigan twice and has won five straight in the series. There has been a 33-13 Zips advantage since 1949-50.

Does Akron have a chance to compete in the MAC?

In the Mid-American Conference, Akron finished second with a record of 29-6. Despite finishing 8-5 in non-conference play, the Zips did not earn any statement wins. In its last game, Akron defeated EMU 8-2 to continue its strong play. On 54.0 percent shooting, the Zips broke the 100-point barrier for the first time this season. By halftime, Akron led by 20 points and scored 58 points in the second half to win by 37 points. With 34 field goals made, the Zips scored 22 assists on 20 rebounds.

Can the Chips turn around their season with enough scoring?

With its latest win, Central Michigan got back to .500 in conference play, but it still has a lot of work to do to compete for the MAC title. A win over Michigan was the only win for the Chippewas in non-conference play. CMU earned a home win over the Bulls in overtime on Saturday. 27 of the Chips' 61 shots came from the field (44.3%), and 9 of the 30 shots came from long range (30.0%). The Bulls outrebounded CMU 51-38, including 22 offensive rebounds, and the Chips made 19 turnovers, but they didn't crack in crunch time. Jesse Zarzuela, a junior guard, scored 29 points on 8-of-16 shooting. The 10-of-12 foul shots he made were also impressive.