Akron is hosting Kent State on Tuesday night of Week 12. The game will take place at 7:30 p.m. ET in Akron, Ohio.
The Zips are 5.5-point home favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 46.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this MAC conference matchup.
Kent State vs. Akron prediction, preview
Kent State Preview
It has been another rough season for Kent State. In the past two seasons under Kenni Burns, the Golden Flashes went 1-23. Kent State was one of the worst programs in college football and decided to make a coaching change ahead of this season. While Kent State has still struggled mightily under Mark Carney, the Golden Flashes do have three wins on the season. One win came against an FCS team, and one came against UMass, the worst team in the FBS by a wide margin. However, Kent State did pick up one respectable win over Bowling Green in MAC play a couple of weeks ago. Simultaneously, this Kent State team is much more competitive than it has been the last two seasons, but is still the fifth-worst FBS team in the country by SP+.
Akron Preview
The next two weeks are absolutely massive for Akron. The Zips have not made a bowl game since 2017, and are one of the least successful programs in college football over the course of this century. Akron has been at the Division I level since 1987 and has only one bowl win to its name. The Zips have four wins on the season with two games to play, meaning if they go 2-0 in their final two games, they will get to a bowl game. They have this game against Kent State, followed by a matchup against Bowling Green. They have a real shot to win both games, so this should be an incredibly focused effort from Akron against the Golden Flashes.
Kent State vs. Akron pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for Akron to cover the 5.5-point spread. The Zips are led by an experienced quarterback, Ben Finley. Finley has played at a Power Four level for both NC State and Cal. He is now in his second season at Akron as the starter, so he knows the offense well. Against an inferior opponent, he is the type of quarterback you want at the helm. The most likely way for Akron to lose this game is if it beats itself with turnovers and penalties. That is where a veteran quarterback presence can go a long way. Outside of that, there aren’t many great things to say about Akron, except for the fact that they’re not Kent State. Outside UMass, the worst team in the country, Kent State has the worst scoring defense and total defense in the conference. Akron should be able to move the ball and put up points, with a tough enough defense to contain a shaky Kent State offense. Akron dominated UMass by 34 points last week and could provide a similar beatdown in this one.
