Many eyes in the college basketball world will be on James A. Rhodes Arena Saturday as host Akron looks to handle the Ohio Bobcats in NCAAB action.

Akron will face the 13-3 Bobcats, who own a 7-2 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Zips are 5-7 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Bobcats are 3-6 favoring the OVER.



View Ohio vs Akron Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had set the Zips as 3.5-point favorites on the Sportsbook line for this contest.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 75-rated Ohio taking on the No. 43-rated Zips in this contest. The scores prediction computer here indicates a possible 78-76 win for the Bobcats on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Akron's No. 95 nationally ranked offense (72.6 points per game) against a Bobcats defense that sits as the No. 70 at 62.4 PPG. The Zips have been averaging 45.9% from the field, more than the Bobcats have managed so far this season (43.6% on average).

Defensively, Ohio features the nation's No. 46-rated defense on the road, allowing 63.3 points per game. Akron, meanwhile, comes in at No. 26 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Ohio was a 60-52 Sportsbook at home against Buffalo. They covered the 6.5-point spread as favorites. The Bobcats got 15 points from D.J. Cooper as Ohio ran past Buffalo 60-52 on Wednesday at Ohio University Convocation Center.

Last time out for Akron, they were a 56-55 Sportsbook as they battled Bowling Green on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 1.5-point favorite. Akron earned a 56-55 victory over Bowling Green on Wednesday, getting 12 points from Nick Harney at Stroh Center.


Ohio Bobcats Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Kent State are 7-3
After playing Buffalo are 7-3
After a win are 8-2

Akron Zips Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 9-1
Before playing Buffalo are 5-5
After playing Bowling Green are 6-4
After a win are 6-4

A few Bobcats at Zips trends to consider:
Ohio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Ohio is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Akron
Akron is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Akron is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
Akron is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Ohio
Akron is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Ohio


Next up:
Ohio home to Kent State, Wednesday, January 18
Akron at Buffalo, Wednesday, January 18