Wednesday night MACtion gives us a battle to get off the bottom of the MAC East as the 1-7 Akron Zips welcome the 1-7 Kent State Golden Flashes to Kent, with both teams looking to secure their first conference win of the season.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and an Akron vs. Kent State prediction.
Akron vs. Kent State Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Akron vs. Kent State odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Akron -3.5 - Moneyline
Akron -180, Kent State +150 - Over/Under
38.5 points - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
InfoCision Stadium, Akron, OH - Predicted Weather at Kick
28.4 degrees, 5.6 mph winds, mostly clear - How to Watch
ESPNU, FuboTV
[tallysight url=”https://tallysight.com/new/widget/tile/cfb/org:college-football-network/entity:kent-state-golden-flashes/variant:2/autopilot:game?id=faaf6dc6-eb6c-4dde-b7e0-a7cc03bcc99c”]
Fancy the Golden Flashes to find a way to upset the Zips? Will Joe Moorhead’s team make you some money from this Wednesday night MACtion? If you’re going to take advantage of the Akron vs. Kent State odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Kent State has had the measure of the Zips in this MAC matchup in recent years, coming into the game riding a four-game streak dating back to 2019. Most of those wins have not been remotely close, including a 38-0 shutout in 2021. Despite that, Akron holds a 35-28-2 head-to-head advantage and comes into the game as a favorite.
As we’ll elaborate on in our Akron vs. Kent State prediction, this isn’t the same Kent State team we’ve seen in recent years. The Zips should have enough offensive firepower to capitalize on a porous Golden Flashes defense, and despite their own fragilities on that side of the ball, it’s difficult to see where Kent State’s points are coming from this Wednesday night.
Although Akron hasn’t covered the spread as a favorite, they’re 3-5 covering this year compared to Kent State being 2-6. Kenni Burns’ team hasn’t been involved in a close game all year, with their smallest margin of defeat being 14 points. With two anemic offenses, the chances of covering the 38.5 total points line seem unlikely. Prepare for a low-scoring affair.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Akron Depth Chart | Kent State Depth Chart
- QB Jeff Undercuffler, Akron ($8,200)
- QB Tahj Bullock, Akron ($8,200)
- QB Michael Alaimo, Kent State ($8,000)
- QB Tommy Ulatowski, Kent State ($8,000)
- RB Lorenzo Lingard, Akron ($9,800)
- RB Jaylen Thomas, Kent State ($7,500)
- RB Gavin Garcia, Kent State ($7,000)
- RB Drake Anderson, Akron ($6,500)
- RB Xavier Williams, Kent State ($5,000)
- WR Chrishon McCray, Kent State ($9,400)
- WR Daniel George, Akron ($7,500)
- WR Luke Floriea, Kent State ($6,200)
- WR Trell Harris, Kent State ($6,000)
- WR Jasaiah Gathings, Akron ($5,700)
- WR Alex Adams, Akron ($5,500)
- WR Jameel Gardner, Kent State ($5,100)
- TE T.J. Banks, Akron ($5,900)
- TE Justin Holmes, Kent State ($5,700)
There are two college football games on Wednesday to compile your DFS team from in Week 10. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
With the expectation of a low-scoring game, there may not be too many attractive Akron vs. Kent State picks for your fantasy lineup or to compile your DFS lineup from.
The quarterback situation is worth steering clear of. Since the season-ending injury to DJ Irons, both Jeff Undercuffler and Tahj Bullock have split time — both without great levels of success. The same can be said for Kent State, where Michael Alaimo has seen the most action and leads the team in passing yards but has double the interceptions of his touchdown passes.
Lorenzo Lingard could be a genuine contender for one of your RB spots. He’s the leading fantasy scorer on display in this matchup and leads Akron in total yardage by a distance while leading the team in touchdowns. Someone will have to score points in this game, and the former five-star is your best bet. Chrishon McCray is a viable WR option with 449 yards and two scores this year.
Prediction for Akron vs. Kent State
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Akron vs. Kent State odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction. Who will get their first FBS and MAC win when the Zips and the Golden Flashes clash on Wednesday night?
When Sean Lewis left Kent State to take the offensive coordinator job at Colorado, he triggered a stampede out of Kent that left replacement head coach Kenni Burns with a depleted roster and little hope of replicating the success the program enjoyed in 2021.
Other than giving Arkansas an early scare and racking up a 38-10 win over FCS Central Connecticut State, preseason predictions have come to fruition for the Golden Flashes. Winless in the conference, they currently rank 116th for scoring defense while sitting plum last in the nation for scoring offense, averaging 12.5 points per game.
Things haven’t been much rosier at Akron in the second year under Joe Moorhead. However, in contrast to Kent State, they’ve at least been competitive and played in some close games. Running back Lingard has shown flashes of the form that made him such a highly regarded high school recruit.
Meanwhile, on defense, CJ Nunnally IV has been a constant force in the opposition backfield, registering 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Bryan McCoy is one of the leading tacklers at the Group of Five level.
Between Lingard’s offensive influence and a stiffer defense than their opponent — Akron has allowed 29.4 points per game compared to Kent State giving up a MAC-high 33.0 — the Zips should have the advantage on Wednesday night.
Prediction: Akron 21, Kent State 13