It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Miami Ohio-Akron prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Miami Ohio-Akron.
This is the final showdown for the Mid-American Conference basketball season on Saturday night.
Akron won the regular-season MAC championship and is the No. 1 seed at this MAC Tournament. The Zips lost only one MAC game all year. If they keep it that way, they will go to the NCAA Tournament under coach John Groce, who was a highly successful coach at Ohio — in the MAC — before he went to Illinois and then came back to the MAC at Akron. Groce has been to the NCAA Tournament before, so he knows what it takes to get the job done. He is one win away from a return to college basketball’s big stage. Akron was strong against both Bowling Green (quarterfinals) and Toledo (semifinals) in the first two rounds of this tournament. Akron is acting like a No. 1 seed, but if it doesn’t win this game, that top seed won’t feel as significant in the big picture.
Miami Ohio is the No. 2 seed at this tournament. The Redhawks have looked very good as well, taking care of business cleanly in their first two rounds of the MAC Tournament. They won both games by six or more points. In the game they won by six (over Eastern Michigan in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals), they led by 11 with four minutes left before their opponent made the final score closer.
Both teams, Miami and Akron, were the big dogs in the MAC for two full months of regular-season competition. They have both looked like the big dogs in the conference at this tournament. Now they get to decide who goes to the Big Dance. It’s a great matchup as part of Championship Week.
Here are the Miami Ohio-Akron College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
MAC Tournament Odds: Miami Ohio-Akron Odds
Miami Ohio: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +184
Akron: -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -225
Over: 157.5 (-110)
Under: 157.5 (-110)
How to Watch Miami Ohio vs Akron
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN2, ESPN Plus
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Miami Ohio Will Cover The Spread/Win
Miami has been very strong all season long. The Redhawks were far better than every other non-Akron team in the MAC. They have established themselves as a very strong squad. They have lost only eight games all season. They have looked solid in each of their two MAC Tournament games. If you were wanting to pick against Miami in this game, you would do so only because you think Akron is so great that the Zips are going to just blow past the Redhawks. However, if you trust Miami’s quality and toughness, you will see 5.5 points and say that’s too big a spread for a 25-8 Miami team which is really darn good and deserves a little more respect than it is getting.
Why Akron Will Cover The Spread/Win
Akron is the MAC daddy, the best team in the conference. It was true in the regular season, it looks true at the MAC Tournament, and it is simply something no one should question. John Groce has won MAC Tournament championships before at Ohio. He knows how to get his team through the three games of the MAC Tournament and into the NCAA Tournament. Miami is really good, but Akron finished multiple games ahead of the Redhawks in the regular season standings. Akron really is a cut above, and is ready to cover that 5.5-point spread.
Final Miami Ohio-Akron Prediction & Pick
Akron is obviously better, but 5.5 points is a lot. We lean Miami, but think you should wait for the right time to pull the trigger on a live play.
Final Miami Ohio-Akron Prediction & Pick: Miami Ohio +5.5
The post Miami Ohio vs Akron prediction, odds, pick for MAC Tournament final appeared first on ClutchPoints.
