by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Jan 30, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Alumni Arena, Buffalo, NY
Where to watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Akron -1.5; O/U 145.5
FanDuel: Akron -1.5; O/U 145.5
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: Akron -1.5; O/U 145.5
Season record
Akron: 15-6 (7-1 MAC)
Buffalo: 10-11 (4-4 MAC)
We’re nearing the halfway mark of the college basketball season and it’s been quite the ride so far. Will Rogers is going hard in the last 30 days with a 16-10-1 run, while Kyle Hunter has also had a strong run of form as of late at 28-24-0 (+$1,700). If they’ve been killing it as much as they were in the first half, what does the second half have in store? The only way you’re going to find out is by staying locked on bigal.com and following what our champion handicappers are up to heading into the second half. Trust us, you want to know.
Akron - Buffalo preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Akron: won 83-77 vs. Ohio
Buffalo: lost 74-68 at Kent State
The Akron Zips will try for their seventh straight victory and ninth in their last 10 games when they visit the Buffalo Bulls on Tuesday at Alumni Arena in Buffalo.
The Akron Zips will try for their seventh straight victory and ninth in their last 10 games when they visit the Buffalo Bulls on Tuesday at Alumni Arena in Buffalo.
The Zips have stormed their way near the top of the MAC thanks to this winning streak. Akron is coming off an 83-77 win over the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday, their third-straight win by single digits. You see teams all the time that get to that point but don’t have the fortitude to get through. This one is different.
When you have a player like Enrique Freeman on your team, that’s going to help. The Akron forward finished with 32 points and 15 rebounds to power the Zips to that 6-point win over the Bobcats. Freeman shot 14 of 18 from the floor and also had four offensive rebounds, exactly half of the entire team and only two fewer than what Ohio was able to do.
Xavier Castaneda had 16 points despite shooting 2 of 11 from the floor, but went 10 of 11 from the free-throw line. Trendon Hankerson was the next leading scorer for Akron with 14 points and four assists despite turning the ball over three times.
Akron has gone 3-1-1 in their last five against the spread and has seen the over go 3-2 in the last five. They’ve been one of the better teams defensively this season, giving up just 63 points per game despite scoring just 71. While the scoring has gone up in recent games, Akron’s calling card remains its defense, especially on the road.
Buffalo is trying to avoid a fourth loss in six games after dropping a 74-68 contest to the Kent State Golden Flashes on Friday. Hard to win on any given night against a Kent State team that’s atop the MAC and improved to 10-0 at home this year. Isaiah Adams led the way with 23 points, but he was the only one that was able to generate any kind of offense for the Bulls. Zid Powell had 11 points on 4 of 14 shooting, and Curtis Jones shot just 1 of 13 from the floor.
Buffalo shot 33 percent from the floor, but still came within six points of the Golden Flashes. That counts for something. Buffalo covered for the third time in four games and did so as a 10.5-point underdog.
Prediction
Akron is laying just 1.5 against a near-.500 team in Buffalo, but the Bulls are a great team at home with an 8-2 mark, while the Zips are just 3-3 on the road. Akron is just 1-5-1 in their last seven against the spread on the road when facing a team with a winning record at home. Not thinking an outright upset, but much closer than anticipated. Akron 70, Buffalo 65
Betting trends
Akron is 21-23 ATS as a favorite the last 3 seasons.
Akron is 10-3 ATS after 2 straight games forcing 11 turnovers or less the last 3 seasons.
Buffalo is 15-8 ATS as an underdog the last 3 seasons.
Projected starting lineup
Akron:
PG: Xavier Castaneda
SG: Greg Tribble
SF: Kobe Mitchell
PF: Trendon Hankerson
C: Enrique Freeman
Buffalo:
PG: Yazid Powell
SG: Isaiah Adams
SF: Curtis Jones
PF: Laquill Hardnett
C: Jo Smith
Statistical leaders
Akron:
Points: Xavier Castaneda -- 20.3
Rebounds: Enrique Freeman -- 10.8
Assists: Xavier Castaneda -- 3.1
Buffalo:
Points: Curtis Jones -- 15.1
Rebounds: Laquill Hardnett -- 7.5
Assists: Armoni Foster -- 3.8
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Akron - Buffalo prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college basketball projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
