There are two sides to the sport of FBS college football. While the Ohio States and Georgias of the world dominate the headlines, there’s the opposite end of the spectrum as well. There’s the part of FBS that pits the winless Kent State Golden Flashes against the struggling Akron Zips.
Just 2-8, the Zips are heavy favorites, but while bettors might care about the spread, Joe Moorhead’s squad simply wants to escape with a win. Despite the ugly record of both of these teams, College Football Network has you covered with a full Akron vs. Kent State prediction.
Akron vs. Kent State Betting Preview
All Akron vs. Kent State odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Akron -6 - Spread
Akron -10 - Moneyline
Akron -355, Kent State +280 - Over/Under
49 points - Game Time
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m. ET - Location
Dix Stadium | Kent, Ohio - Predicted Weather at Kick
57 degrees, cloudy, 7 mph winds - How To Watch
CBS Sports Network
On paper, this is one of the worst FBS matchups of the year, as 2-8 Akron goes on the road to face 0-10 Kent State. The Golden Flashes are in the midst of a 19-game losing streak and haven’t beaten an FBS team since 2022.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
The spread here is indicative of Kent State’s failures more than Akron’s strength, as the Zips are 10-point favorites despite winning just one game by such a margin in the past two years. With a total of 49 points, Vegas expects the score to be close to 30-20 in favor of the Zips.
Akron’s Winning Probability
CFN’s FPM can sometimes struggle to handicap games between two struggling programs, and that might be the case here. The Zips have a 65.7% chance to beat the Golden Flashes, representing their best-remaining chance at a win.
- at Kent State: 65.7%
- vs. Toledo: 39.3%
Kent State’s Winning Probability
Kent State desperately wants to avoid a winless season, but it will be difficult. FPM gives the Golden Flashes a 54% chance to lose both of their remaining games, with a 34.3% chance to win on Tuesday.
- vs. Akron: 34.3%
- at Buffalo: 16.7%
Prediction for Akron vs. Kent State
The story in this one is whether Moorhead can scheme up some scoring opportunities against the worst defense in the FBS.
If he can, Akron should run away with this.
It’s just difficult to overstate how overmatched Kent State has been this season, on both sides of the ball. The Golden Flashes have finished just two games within 20 points of their competition, including a six-point loss to 4-6 FCS St. Francis (PA).
It’s not like the Golden Flashes haven’t tried to mix things up.
Kent State has started three different quarterbacks this season but are still 131st in scoring offense. The Flashes’ path to winning has to go through receiving duo Chrishon McCray and Luke Floriea, but getting them the ball consistently has been an adventure.
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But even though the offense has been horrible in recent weeks, it’s the other side of the ball where Akron’s best advantages lie.
Though the Zips have struggled offensively this season, a lot of that can be attributed to a brutal schedule. They scored 20 points in four of six conference games this season and may have found something with consistency at the quarterback position.
Akron isn’t going to wow anybody with amazing stats, but there’s enough firepower to put up points on this Kent State defense.
The question I have is whether Kent State can play up to Akron’s level, knowing this is the Golden Flashes’ best shot to pick up a win with a solid Buffalo team on deck next week.
I actually think this is a game the Golden Flashes could overperform in. The issue is that the offense is just nowhere near consistent enough to put up the points for an outright win.
Ten points is a lot to give against an Akron team that hasn’t won an FBS game by double-digits since 2022. If you can stomach it, take the Golden Flashes against the spread and back the under with two struggling offenses.
Prediction: Akron 23, Kent State 17
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