Akron vs Arizona Betting Picks, Predictions & Odds for Friday, March 21
By Nick Holz in College Basketball
Published:
- Arizona battles Akron on Friday, having won seven straight games
- Arizona are 14-2 SU in their last 16 games as the favorite
- Find all the Akron vs Arizona betting picks, player props & odds
The Akron Zips (16-16 ATS) make their third March Madness tournament appearance of the last four seasons, aiming to pull off a massive upset against the Arizona Wildcats (18-16 ATS).
Don’t miss this high-flying March Madness first-round contest as the action tips off on Friday, March 21at 7:35pm ET. Until then, let’s find some winners in the Akron vs Arizona odds.
Akron Betting News
The Zips can get buckets. Akron averaged an insane 84 points per game this season – good for seventh in the country. John Groce’s squad loves to push the basketball, and sit 16th in KenPom’s adjusted tempo rankings. Plus, the Zips can shoot from all over the pace, and rank 30th in effective field goal percentage across Division 1.
Akron ran through the Mid-American Conference this season, culminating in a 17-1 SU conference record and a tournament championship victory. Having said that, the Zips went just 3-3 ATS at neutral venues this season, and 3-3 as underdogs. Of which, they will be a true David against the Goliath of the Wildcats on Friday.
The Zips will desperately need guards Nate Johnson (14 points per game) and Tavari Johnson (13 points per game) to stay hot. Tavari is knocking down nearly 40% of three-point attempts this season and will need to shoot the lights out to keep this squad in the game. Expect to see a ton of three-point shots from Akron as they aim to upset the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona Betting News
After back-to-back disappointing tournament fallouts, Caleb Love leads the Arizona Wildcats into another March Madness journey. The former UNC Tar Heel is scoring 16.6 points a game this season, but knocking down only 32% of shots from deep. Everyone knows Love is an inconsistent shooter, but he’ll need to find his form to help the Wildcats to make a deep tournament run.
A strong Big 12 conference led Arizona to drop three of their last seven games heading into the NCAAB tournament. However, those losses came against the likes of Iowa State, Kansas and Houston, so only a major stumble would threaten them here. After all, the Wildcats are in the top 12 offenses in the nation, putting up 122.6 points per 100 possessions. On the flip side, Arizona surrenders just 96.9 points per 100, good for 33rd in the country.
The Wildcats play at a quick tempo, and crash the glass with a 35.9% offensive rebounding rate. Don’t expect many threes from Arizona, but their combination of size, Division 1 experience (30th in the nation) and offensive efficiency should guide them to a first round victory.
Akron vs Arizona Betting Predictions
Akron has won nine of their past 10 games to surge into the postseason with a ton of momentum.
However, Arizona can score with the best teams in the country. The Wildcats crash the glass with reckless abandon and should have little trouble dispatching the Zips. While both teams excel at scoring the basketball and playing at pace, the over will be a popular play.
Having said that, I’m rolling with the first-half under at -105 odds over at DraftKings. Both teams play at pace, but struggle to shoot the basketball from deep, and that will lead to a ton of empty possessions on Friday night.
Pick: Akron vs Arizona first-half under 78.5 (-105) at DraftKings
BETMGM SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD1500 & GET $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS
BET365 SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS WITH CODE DIME365
FANATICS SPORTSBOOKBET & GET UP TO $1,000 IN BONUS BETS!
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $250 IF YOUR BET WINS
CAESARS SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD2DYW & BET $1 TO DOUBLE THE WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 BETS!
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, KS, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA); (877) 8-HOPENY (NY); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); (888) 789-7777 (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN); mdgamblinghelp.org (MD); morethanagame.nc.gov (NC); 1800gambler.net (WV)
Akron vs Arizona Odds
Arizona are 14.5-point favorite in the latest college basketball odds. The Wildcats are monumental -1350 moneyline favorites at DraftKings with the Zips as huge +800 underdogs. The Akron vs Arizona total is listed at 166.5 with the over favored at -115.
Odds as of March 20th, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out SBD’s list of the best March Madness betting apps to wager on the 2025 tournament.
Sports Content Writer
A sports betting aficionado and graduate of Toronto Film School, Nick covers the NFL, NBA, Soccer, and MMA for SBD. He is also an avid NBA podcaster, and sports betting TikToker. Nick's work has been featured on Bleacher Report.
