The No. 13 seeded Akron Zips face off against No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
With an O/U of 167, this is the highest total of the Round of 64 — and my Akron vs Arizona predictions are betting on the Zips to keep things interesting in a shootout.
Here are my best free March Madness picks for this East Region clash on March 21.
Who will win Akron vs Arizona?
The Zips are an impressive 21-1 since the calendar flipped to the New Year. Meanwhile, the Arizona Wildcats are 6-6 straight up and 5-7 against the spread in their last 12 games.
That said, Arizona faced a much tougher slate of opponents during that span, including two games against Houston, Texas Tech, and Kansas, along with matchups against Iowa State, BYU, and Baylor.
Arizona is also significantly better on defense than Akron, who is 181st in adjusted defensive efficiency — the ninth-worst number among teams in the Field of 64. The Wildcats are 14.5-point favorites and their size and defensive advantage will lead to a win here.
Akron vs Arizona prediction
My best bet: Akron +14.5 (-110 at bet365)
The Akron Zips have lived up to their nickname, sitting 16th in the country in adjusted tempo. They are also 31st in effective field goal percentage (55.4%), which has led to them ranking seventh in the country in scoring with 84.0 points per game.
That high-powered offense carried the Zips to the MAC Championship, and they've remarkably lost just one game since the start of the New Year.
Although the Arizona Wildcats also boast an explosive attack, the Wildcats attempt threes at an extremely low rate and are just 247th in 3-point percentage (32.4%). Arizona is also 167th in 3-point defense (33.6%) while sitting outside the Top 300 at allowing high-quality threes per ShotQualityBets.
Meanwhile, the Zips are in the Top 50 in 3-point percentage (36.6%) and limit foes to 31.9% shooting from deep.
In what should be a fast-paced shootout, the Wildcats will have a tough time separating on the scoreboard if they trade 2-point buckets while Akron is knocking down threes. The Wildcats will get the win, but the Zips will make things interesting.
Akron vs Arizona same-game parlay (SGP)
Akron +14.5
Nate Johnson Over 2.5 assists
Tobe Awaka 10+ rebounds
Both teams prefer to push the pace, and an up-tempo game means an increase in possessions, resulting in higher numbers across all categories.
Zips guard Nate Johnson leads the school with 14.0 points per game while ranking second in assists per game (3.5). The MAC Player of the Year has dropped 3+ dimes in 21 of his last 28 games.
Forward Tobe Awaka has been a force on the boards for the Wildcats, leading the team with 7.8 rebounds in just 19.7 minutes per game. Akron has the smallest lineup in the country regarding height efficiency per KenPom, and I expect Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd to give the 6-foot-8, 250-pound Awaka plenty of minutes to take advantage of that.
Awaka has grabbed 10+ boards in 11 games this season and this leg of the parlay pays out at +380 by itself.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Akron vs Arizona odds
Akron vs Arizona live odds
Akron vs Arizona opening odds
- Spread: Akron +13.5 | Arizona -13.5
- Moneyline: Akron +625 | Arizona -950
- Over/Under: Over 166.5 | Under 166.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Akron vs Arizona betting trend to know
The Wildcats are 1-5-1 ATS in the NCAA Tournament since Tommy Lloyd took over as head coach. Find more college basketball betting trends for Akron vs. Arizona.
How to watch Akron vs Arizona
| Region | East |
| Location | Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA |
| Date | Friday, 3-21-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:35 p.m. ET |
| TV | truTV |
Akron vs Arizona key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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