South Bracket Opener - (4) Gonzaga vs. (13) Akron
by Tim Furious
Can we just get one thing out of the way about Akron? Their team name is the “Zips”. How did this happen? When the Zips travel to Portland to take on the Zags, one thing is for sure, underestimating the Zips as a childish team may cost you big in the sportsbook.
The Akron Zips are a rough and tumble team, touting the Mid-American Conference Championship after a surprising season. They’re a blue collar team, that loves to hit the hardwood with a grizzled, underdog mentality. They get what they work for. Led by brothers Brett and Chris McKnight, these two set the physical tone for the Akron Zips and that’s something the high-flying Zags have to be careful of.
Akron averaged a point differential of +7.0 while putting up 66.8 points per game. While studying the tape, you’ll notice that their entire gameplan is predicated on physicality. They don’t shy from hard work, and toppling a fourth seed in March Madness tournament may prove to be their most challenging task at hand. Good thing for them, they have that blue collar work ethic.
#13 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-5)
Thursday, March 19th --- Rose Garden, Portland --- 7:25 EST
NCAAB Betting Line: Gonzaga -13 (133)
Despite all the good print about the Zips, nobody is taking them seriously. That’s a big mistake. The oddsmakers set a line at -11.5 encouraging the betting community that the Zips couldn’t hack the hardwood presence of perennial Big Dancer, Gonzaga. The betting public bit hard.
Akron is 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games, and while I don’t expect them to win this game, I certainly expect them to cover the double digits. While lacking elite athletes, they aren’t short on work ethic. Gonzaga has continually been a team that relies on perimeter shooting, but has always been known as a soft program. That’s trouble for both the spread and the OVER in this game. Don’t lump the moneyline on this one, but I’d take Akron with the points.
March Madness Free Picks: Akron +13 (UNDER)
