Akron Zips vs. Ohio Bobcats Picks and Prediction for Friday, January 23, 2026
Use Code WWWC It’s a MAC contest on the hardwood in the Buckeye State as the Akron Zips battle the Ohio Bobcats Friday night and we have you covered with our Akron vs. Ohio prediction. Akron rolled to an 82-63 road win over Buffalo in their previous contest Tuesday, covering the line as an 8.5-point favorite. Ohio slipped past Northern Illinois 80-77 at home Tuesday night in their previous contest, failing to cover the line as a 11.5-point favorite. In the all-time series between the programs, the Ziips own a 50-45 advantage, though the Bobcats picked up an 84-67 home win in the most recent meeting February 22, 2025. Read more about this Akron vs. Ohio prediction! Get our top NCAAB Betting Picks and increase your bankroll!
Zips Shooting for Sixth Straight Win
Akron ran their win streak to five games as they jumped all over Buffalo early and coasted to a road win Tuesday night. The Zips ran their mark to 15-4 overall and stood second in the MAC with a 6-1 mark in conference play. Against Buffalo, Akron ran to a 19-2 lead out of the gate and wasn’t seriously challenged the rest of the way. The Zips were up 43-26 at intermission and led by as many as 26 en route to the victory. Akron shot 46.6% from the floor, including 14 of 30 from beyond the arc, and owned a 27-7 edge in fast break points in the win. Amani Lyles led the Zips with 18 points and 15 rebounds in the win.
The Zips are an excellent offensive unit as they are 4th in the nation with an average of 93 points per game. Akron is 84th on the boards this season with 38 rebounds per contest and have dished out 20.5 assists per contest, putting them fourth in the nation. The Zips are below average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 238th in the nation, allowing 75.8 points per game. Tavari Johnson leads the team with 20.1 points plus 5.7 assists per contest this season. Amani Lyles (15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds) and Shammah Scott (13 points) are secondary scoring options. Evan Mahaffey, Eric Mahaffey, Bowen Hardman, Sharron Young, Chabi Barre, Marvine Musiime-Kamali, Ognjen Stankovic and Zach Halligan are good options in the Zips’ rotation for coach John Groce. Akron is shooting 52% from the floor as a team, putting them 4th in Division I. The Zips are knocking down 11.4 three-point field goals per contest (7th) while shooting 38.6% from beyond the arc. Akron is above average at the charity stripe as they have converted at a 76.6% mark as a team on the year, which is 39th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Akron:
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- No Key Injuries
Ohio Looking for Home Success
Ohio snapped a two-game slide and won for the sixth time in eight games as they slipped past Northern Illinois Tuesday night in their previous game. The Bobcats improved to 11-9 overall and stand fourth in the MAC with a 5-3 mark in conference action entering this game. Against Northern Illinois, Ohio trailed by as many as two in the first half and led by as many as 11 before seeing their margin trimmed to two at intermission. The Bobcats led by as many as 16 and held off a late charge by the Huskies to earn the win. Ohio knocked down an even 50% of their shots from the floor, including eight of 19 from beyond the arc, and owned a 30-22 advantage in points in the paint. Jackson Paveletzke led the Bobcats with 23 points and four assists in the win.
The Bobcats come into this game 149th in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 78.2 points per game. Ohio is weak in the rebounding department as they collect 34.1 boards per contest (275th) and are handing out 13.6 assists a night. The Bobcats are below average defensively as they are 275th in the nation by holding opposing teams to 77.2 points a game. Aidan Hadaway is one of three players averaging in double figures on the team with 14.3 points plus 7.5 rebounds per game this season. Javan Simmons (13.5 points, five rebounds), Jalen Breath and Jackson Paveletzke (17.7 points, 4.7 assists) are solid secondary scoring options. Ayden Evans, Dior Conners, Elijah Elliott, Ajay Sheldon, Kiir Kuany, JJ Kelly, Jesse Burns and Jordan Fisher are other rotation pieces that Jeff Boals looks to in order to contribute solid minutes. The Bobcats are shooting 47.8% from the field so far this season. Ohio drills 6.9 three-pointers a night while sinking 31% from beyond the arc. The Bobcats are below average at the charity stripe as they hit 68.5% of their chances this season, putting them 297th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Ohio:
- No Key Injuries
Akron vs. Ohio Pick
Akron vs. Ohio Spread Pick
- Akron -8.5 (4 units)
The Zips are playing good basketball right now with five straight wins on the books to their credit. Akron just jumped all over Buffalo on the road and didn’t look back as they rolled to a victory. The Zips are 3-2 on the road this season with wins over Tulane, Bowling Green and Buffalo. Each of their wins in this five-game run has come by double figures. Ohio is 8-3 at home on the year but they had dropped two straight before edging Northern Illinois. The Bobcats nearly let a 16-point lead slip away and facing a team that is explosive offensively in addition to having momentum is too much to handle. Take Akron in this contest.
Akron vs. Ohio Over/Under Pick
- Over 168.5 (4 units)
Akron has seen the over post a 10-7 mark in their 17 games with a posted total this season. The Zips are fourth in field goal percentage, third in two-point shooting (62.7%), seventh in threes per game and 14th in three-point shooting. Akron is 30th in adjusted tempo with 71.3 possessions a night. Ohio has gone over the total in two of their three games on the season. The Bobcats are 259th in field goal percentage defense (45.2%), 191st in two-point defense (50.9%), 181st in threes allowed per game (7.8) and 291st in three-point defense (35.3%) on the year. Ohio is 82nd in adjusted tempo with 69.6 possessions per game. Look for both teams to run and gun, piling up points and putting this game over the number.
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