Akron Zips vs Ball State Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Friday February 20 2026
Use Code WWWC The Akron Zips, who are having an excellent season at 21–5 overall and 12–1 in MAC play, head to Muncie, Indiana for a road game against the Ball State Cardinals. Ball State comes in at 8–18 overall and 3–10 in the conference, and Akron will be looking to keep its strong hold on the MAC standings and continue its dominant run in the conference. Get involved in the action with our free college basketball picks.
Akron vs. Ball State Game Information
- February 20, 2026
- 6:30pm EST
- Worthen Arena
- CBSSN
Ball State Form & Recent Results
Ball State heads into this one in a rough stretch, riding a three-game losing streak and having dropped four of its last five games overall. The Cardinals most recently fell 69–57 at Ohio on Tuesday in Athens, a game where Devon Barnes led the scoring with 17 points. Preston Copeland did his work on the glass with 10 rebounds, and Armoni Zeigler helped steady the offense with three assists. Ball State finished that game with 35 total rebounds and only held the lead for a small portion of the night at about 13% of the game, which shows how often they were playing from behind and trying to claw their way back into it.
Davion Hill has been Ball State’s most consistent scoring option throughout the year, leading the team at 12.7 points per game, with Zeigler right behind him at 12.1 points per game. Zeigler has been especially important because he contributes in multiple areas. He not only ranks first on the team in rebounding at 5.0 boards per game, but he also leads the Cardinals in passing at 2.8 assists per game. Defensively, Ball State has given up 70.4 points per game across its last five games, although things have looked better at home, where the Cardinals are 5–6 and have allowed just 64.2 points per game. Even with that solid home defense, their conference results have been brutal, with ten losses in their last thirteen league games. Now they return home hoping Friday night can be the game that slows down Akron’s grip on the conference race.
Akron Form & Recent Results
Akron comes into this game playing some good basketball this season, riding a two-game winning streak and taking four wins from its last five games overall. The Zips looked especially sharp on Tuesday night in Kalamazoo, where they pulled away for a convincing 90–73 win over Western Michigan. Tavari Johnson set the tone with 17 points and 6 assists, and Amani Lyles made his presence felt on the glass with 9 rebounds. As a team, Akron was efficient and in control from the opening minutes: they shot 50% from the field, knocked down 43% of their threes, and committed only 7 turnovers. They also dominated the rebounding battle with 43 boards and, most tellingly, spent roughly 95% of the game playing with the lead.
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Johnson has been the engine of the offense over the course of this season, leading Akron in scoring at 20.3 points per game while also pacing the team in playmaking at 5.2 assists a night. Lyles has been the reliable second option, putting up 14.6 points per game, and he’s also the Zips’ top rebounder at 7.3 per game. Lately, Akron’s offense has been steady and productive, averaging 78.6 points over its last five games. They’ve carried that same scoring punch away from home too, posting a solid 6–3 road record while averaging 78.9 points in those games, and they’ll try to turn that into road win number seven when they travel to Muncie to take on Ball State.
Key Stats
- Akron’s Tavari Johnson this season: 20.3 points, 5.2 assists per game
- Ball State’s Armoni Zeigler this season: 12.1 points, 5 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game
Betting Odds & Market Overview:
- AKR -13.5; O/U 145.5
Akron vs. Ball State Picks and Prediction
Akron has been on a tear in conference play, winning twelve of their thirteen conference games and looking in control for most of the season. Ball State, on the other hand, has struggled to find consistency, losing ten of their thirteen conference games. With those kinds of trends, Akron comes into this game with a clear edge and plenty of momentum. Final Score Prediction, Ball State Cardinals win but fail to cover the spread, 78-67.
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