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Bet Akron ATS vs Creighton in March Madness Bout
Betting on college basketball spreads in the NCAA Tournament can sometimes rely on the seeding a little too much, not giving a lot of credit to the less-heralded team. That’s the case in Thursday’s first-round matchup between third-seeded Creighton and 14th-seeded Akron in the Midwest Region, as the Bluejays are heavily favored to win at a -12½ betting line.
Not that Creighton doesn’t deserve its seeding, having tied for second place in the Big East in the regular season. But Akron also tied for second in its league, the Mid-American Conference, and got through a difficult conference tournament to earn an automatic berth into the Field of 68.
Akron vs Creighton Game Information
- Game: Akron (24-10) vs Creighton (23-9)
- Date/Time: Thursday, March 21, 1:30 p.m. ET
- Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
- Akron vs Creighton Live Stream: TBS.com
Creighton has a 3-1 edge in the all-time series between these teams, with the home team winning each time they’ve played. The most recent matchup came in December 2016, with Creighton earning the victory. Our NCAAB odds are anticipating another Bluejays victory, favoring them by 12½ points for Thursday’s matchup. The over/under has been set at 141 points.
Akron and Creighton will meet on Thursday, March 21, at 1:30 pm ET. The match will take place at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, and you can watch it live on TNT or MAX.
Akron vs Creighton Odds and Spreads
Akron vs Creighton Betting Trends
- Creighton is 5-1 ATS in its last six NCAA Tournament games.
- Akron is 0-5-1 ATS in its last six contests following a straight-up win.
- The over is 5-0 in Creighton’s last five games as a favorite of 7.0 to 12½ points.
- Akron is 15-16-1 ATS this season.
- The over is 16-16-0 in Creighton’s 32 games in 2023-24.
- The under is 4-0 in Akron’s last four games vs a team with a winning percentage over .600.
- Creighton is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.
- Akron is 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games vs a team with a winning straight-up record.
Akron vs Creighton Over/Under Pick: Over 141
Creighton is one of the better scoring teams in the country, ranking 33rd with a scoring average of 80.5 points per game. Akron isn’t a slouch when it comes to lighting up the scoreboard either, putting up 74.0 points per contest, with three double-digit scorers. While the Bluejays have a solid defense, allowing just 69.7 points per game, we don’t see them keeping Akron under wraps throughout this contest.
Akron senior forward Enrique Freeman has been heating up over the last few contests, helping the Zips defy NCAA basketball spreads and advance to the Big Dance. Freeman is averaging a double-double of 18.6 points and 12.9 rebounds while shooting 59.3% from the floor this season. He was especially strong in the semifinals of the MAC tournament, going for 24 points, 21 rebounds, and seven blocks in a win over Ohio, which came a game after a 30-point, 12-rebound performance against Miami (Ohio).
Akron vs Creighton ATS Pick: Akron +12½
Creighton has been a national power for much of the season, though the college basketball spread seems a little high for this contest. The Bluejays have dropped two of their last five contests, and one of those wins was only a two-point victory on the road. We fully believe Creighton advances in this one and has some pretty good odds to win March Madness, but this won’t be an easy victory to achieve.
Creighton’s key is the play of senior guard Baylor Scheierman, who is averaging 18.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range. When Scheierman is lighting it up and hitting the boards, Creighton is nearly unstoppable, as shown by his 26 points and 16 rebounds in a win against Marquette earlier this month.
Akron vs Creighton Player Prop Pick: Ryan Kalkbrenner Over 7½ Rebounds (-137)
While Scheierman is the leading rebounder for Creighton, the 7-1 Kalkbrenner could have more success on the glass against an undersized Zips lineup. Kalkbrenner is averaging 7.4 rebounds himself and had 12 along with five blocks in the Bluejays’ last contest, a loss to Providence in the Big East Tournament. When putting together your college basketball picks for this contest, take Kalkbrenner’s over in rebounding for a good prop bet.
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Akron vs Creighton Score Prediction
Questions of the Day
Have Creighton and Akron faced each other in the NCAA Tournament before?
These teams have played four times in their history, with all coming during the regular season and Creighton winning three of them.
Who does the winner of the Akron vs Creighton game face next?
The winner of this contest advances to the second round of the Midwest Region, where they’ll face the winner of the first-round game between South Carolina and Oregon on Saturday.
