The Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes meet Saturday in college football action from Ohio Stadium. Here’s an Ohio State vs Akron prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Ohio State vs Akron pick.
Akron Zips Betting Preview
Last season was a rough one for Akron. The Zips limped to a 2-10 overall record and a 1-7 run in Mid-American Conference games. Oddly enough, Akron didn’t finish last in the East Division (they landed one spot up). That honor fell to Kent State.
Head coach Joe Moorhead moves into his third season with Akron, and he’ll be charged with attempting to turn around a program that’s 7-47 in their last five campaigns. The bad news is that the top three pass-catchers from last season are gone, but WR Alex Adams should be able to step up and help out in that regard.
Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview
Over on the Ohio State side, they’ve got some high expectations heading into 2024 after an 11-2 run overall and an 8-1 clip in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes finished second in the East Division, behind only Michigan (9-0), and their season ended on a sour note with a rough 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Sixth-year head coach Ryan Day will be back on the sidelines for the Buckeyes this year. On paper, he’s got the strongest roster in years, including top backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who transferred from Ole Miss. They’re arguably the best-rushing tandem in the country and should run over just about every defense on the schedule.
Why the Ohio State Buckeyes will win
- Ohio State has won each of its last 51 games against non-AP-ranked teams at Ohio Stadium.
- Akron has lost each of its last 12 road games against non-conference opponents.
- Akron has failed to cover the spread in eight of its last nine season openers.
- Ohio State has covered the spread in each of its last five games at Ohio Stadium.
- Akron has lost the first half in 15 of its last 16 road games against non-conference opponents.
- Ohio State has won the first quarter in each of its last six games against non-conference opponents at Ohio Stadium.
Why the Akron Zips will win
- Ohio State has failed to cover the spread in four of its last five season openers.
- Akron has covered the spread in three of its last four road games against non-conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Ohio State’s last four games at Ohio Stadium have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Four of Akron’s last five games against non-conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Ohio State ranked 1st among FBS teams for H1 points allowed per game last season (5.0).
- Ohio State ranked 2nd among FBS teams for Q2 points allowed per game last season (2.9).
- Akron was one of only five FBS teams to lose 4+ games when leading after Q1 last season.
- Akron ranked 5th among FBS teams for Q4 points allowed per game last season (3.8).
Ohio State vs Akron Prediction
I’ve got to lean toward Ohio State here, even though the line is outrageous. The only real question here will be the margin of victory, as the Buckeyes get a very favorable matchup to kick things off. We should get to see plenty of action from the new and improved running game as Ohio State attempts to improve on last year’s 138.8 rush yards per game. That total left the Buckeyes way down in eighth place among Big Ten teams—odd for a team that led the conference in total yards per game with 407.9 in that category.
Even with Marvin Harrison, Jr. gone, Ohio State still has plenty of targets left in what should be another great year for the passing game. Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith will get a lot of mentions this year. Unless the Buckeyes ease off the gas pedal early, this should be a blowout from start to finish. You wouldn’t be crazy to try Akron with such a thick line, though.