March Madness: Akron vs. Creighton odds, picks and predictions

The No. 14 seed Akron Zips (24-10) face off against the 3rd-seeded Creighton Bluejays (23-9) Thursday in a 1st-round game in the NCAA Tournament. Tip from PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Akron vs. Creightonodds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.

Akron just finished an amazing 3-game run to win the MAC Tournament title, capped by a 62-61 title-game victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes. They didn't cover the spread as a 4.5-point underdog and the Under (132) cashed. Akron is led by the MAC Player of the Year F Enrique Freeman, who averaged 18.6 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. The Zips were 15-16-1 against the spread (ATS) for the season, and just 3-7 ATS over their last 10 regular-season games -- they went 1-1-1 ATS in the conference tourney.

The Bluejays were upset in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament by the Providence Friars 78-73. They lost as 8.5-point favorites and the Over (141.5) cashed. Creighton brings a lot of offensive firepower to the court with 3 players averaging over 17 in G Baylor Scheierman (18.4 points per game), G Trey Alexander (17.6) and C Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.1). The Bluejays finished 17-15 ATS, including 7-1 ATS in their last 8 regular-season games.

Creighton is No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

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Akron vs. Creighton odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 10:15 p.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML): Akron +680 (bet $100 to win $680) | Creighton -1100 (bet $100 to win $1,100)
• Against the spread: Akron +13.5 (-115) | Creighton -13.5 (-105)
• Over/Under (O/U): 140.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)

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Akron at Creighton picks and predictions

Prediction

Creighton 80, Akron 64

Moneyline

PASS.

You should obviously avoid betting Creighton (-1100) as these odds are pretty steep. One would have to risk 11 times the potential profit. That's just not smart sports betting. Back the spread and/or total instead.

Against the spread

BET CREIGHTON -13.5 (-105).

I went to one of the most infamous mid-major schools in March Madness history (George Mason), so I typically love to root for the Cinderella story, but it's not going to happen for the Zips in 2024. They are overmatched in this 1st-round game against the Bluejays.

Creighton is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games, including the loss to Providence, while Akron is 2-7-1 ATS over its last 10. The Bluejays have wins over the No. 1 (UConn) and No. 8 (Marquette) teams in the country over the last month. They averaged a 12-point margin of victory during Big East play.

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Over/Under

PASS.

Both of these teams are very hit-or-miss when it comes to the O/U this season. Akron is 4-6 O/U in its last 10 games; Creighton is 6-4 O/U in its last 10. I don't love betting on what is basically a coin flip. Save your money for Creighton covering the spread.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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