- The #3 Creighton Bulldogs start their NCAA Tournament against the #14 Akron Zips
- Creighton returns its three-leading scorers from last year’s team which reached the Elite Eight
- See the Akron vs Creighton odds, predictions, and expert picks for March 21
Looking to make a deep NCAA Tournament run for the second straight season, the #3 Creighton Bluejays (23-9, 1-2 neutral, ATS) will face the #14 Akron Zips () in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 21.
Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 am ET at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA, which actually gives the Zips a bit of a geographical edge. It’s less than a two-hour drive from Akron to Pittsburgh but nearly 14 hours from Omaha.
Nonetheless, the Akron vs Creighton odds heavily favor the Bluejays.
Akron vs Creighton Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Zips | +12.5 (-110) | +600 | Over 141 (-112) |
| Creighton Bluejays | -12.5 (-110) | -900 | Under 141 (-108) |
Thursday’s college basketball odds list Creighton as a 12.5-point favorite against the spread and a hyper-short -900 on the moneyline. The Zips are +600 longshots to advance, while the game total is sitting at 141 (-112o/-108u).
Akron fans can take some encouragement from the fact that the line has actually moved in the Zips’ favor. The opening March Madness first-round odds listed Creighton as a 13.5-point favorite.
Odds as of March 20. Check out the best college basketball betting apps to wager on March Madness.
Creighton is currently +400 to win the Midwest Region in the Final Four odds, fading from +340 on Sunday. They remain the third-favorite in the Midwest behind #1 Purdue (+165) and #2 Tennessee (+350). Akron is +13000.
The winner of this matchup will move on to face the winner of #6 South Carolina vs #11 Oregon in the second round of the March Madness bracket.
Akron Survives Kent State Thanks to Mental Error
At 13-5, the Zips finished second in the MAC standings to Toledo (14-4) during the regular season. After beating Miami Ohio (75-63 neutral) and Ohio (65-62 neutral) in the quarters and semis of the MAC Tournament, it looked like Akron would end up on the wrong end of a nail-biter with Kent State until a mental lapse from the Golden Flashes in the dying moments.
Kent State just INTENTIONALLY fouled Akron while LEADING by one with 4 seconds left to lose the MAC title game 😳😳😬
Rob Senderoff could not BELIEVE it 🤯 pic.twitter.com/KBo4C1r0dj
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 17, 2024
But thanks to that last-second error, the Zips are dancing for the second time in three seasons. Akron lost a narrow 57-53 decision to UCLA in 2022 as a #13 seed. The Zips’ three leading scorers – Enrique Freeman (18.6 PPG), Ali Ali (15.6 PPG), and Greg Tribble (10.5 PPG) – were all significant contributors on that 2022 team. Ali was the leading scorer at 13.9 PPG and returned to Akron after transferring to Butler for a season. Freeman was third on the 2022 team at 13.2 PPG and first in rebounding at 10.8 RPG, while Tribble averaged 7.2 PPG in 25.8 minutes.
Despite the continuity and senior leadership, Akron went just 1-3 against fellow NCAA Tournament teams during the regular season. In their opening game, the Zips took down Summit League-champion South Dakota State (81-75 away). They would go onto lose to Utah State (65-62 neutral), Drake (79-59 neutral), and James Madison (73-59 away). Akron’s only win over a top-100 KenPom team came on Dec. 5 when they secured a 67-52 home win over Bradley (#64).
Creighton Flashes Upside During Inconsistent Regular Season
Creighton entered this season as the 12th-favorite in the March Madness championship odds but faded a little further down the list during a 9-4 start, which included double-digit losses to Colorado State (69-48 neutral) and UNLV (79-64 away). A solid if not spectacular 14-6 record in Big East play put the Bluejays in a tie for second with Marquette, four games back of 18-2 UConn.
Home losses to Villanova (68-66) and Butler (99-98) were cause for concern, as was a 80-66 thrashing at a mediocre St. John’s team. But for every subpar loss, there was a thoroughly impressive victory. Creighton blew out reigning national champion UConn (85-64 home) on Feb. 20 and dominated Marquette (89-75 home) two weeks later.
The team’s three leading scorers from last season (center Ryan Kalkbrenner, point guard Trey Alexander, and wing Baylor Scheierman) all returned and sit 1-2-3 in scoring (and rebounding) for the Bluejays again this year, ranging from 17.1 to 18.4 PPG.
The Bluejays finished the regular season winning seven of eight, but that inconsistency reared its head again in the first round of the Big East Tournament when Creighton fell 78-73 to Providence at MSG as 8.5-point favorites.
A common thread through most of Creighton’s losses, the Bluejays shot terribly in the setback to the Friars, going just 22-of-58 from the floor (37.9%) and 6-of-26 from three (23.1%). For the season, they are hitting at 36.1% from three (56th in the country) but that number should be higher. In the transfer portal, head coach Greg McDermott landed sharpshooting Steven Ashworth, who averaged 16.2 PPG and 43.4% from beyond the arc with Utah State last year. But he’s connected at just a 33.5% clip for the Bluejays.
Star point guard Alexander has also seen his three-point percentage decline from 41% last year to just 32.7% this season.
Akron vs Creighton Prediction
If Creighton shoots poorly, Akron has a chance to stick around in this game. The Zips do a great job of cleaning up their own glass (46th in defensive-rebound percentage) and Creighton makes very little effort on the offensive boards anyway (281st in offensive-rebound percentage) so the Bluejays aren’t likely to get second looks if their shooters are cold.
But Akron’s own offense sits just 163rd in efficiency and connects at a 32% from three (274th in DI). With seven-foot Kalkbrenner, who averages three blocks per game, patrolling the lane, an upset bid for Akron has to start with excellent three-point shooting, and that’s just not a likely scenario.
That said, there is a ton of experience on John Groce’s team and they played UCLA extremely close in a similar position two seasons ago. This is a massive spread that I don’t expect the Bluejays to cover.
Akron vs Creighton picks:
- Akron +12.5 (-110)
- Scheierman under 18.5 points (-125)
March Madness is in full swing, and one of the most anticipated matchups on March 21st is between the Akron Zips and the Creighton Bluejays. Both teams have had successful seasons so far, but only one will advance to the next round of the NCAA tournament. Let’s take a closer look at the odds, predictions, and expert picks for this exciting game.
The Akron Zips come into this matchup as the underdogs, with odds of +300 to win the game. However, they shouldn’t be underestimated, as they finished the regular season with a 24-9 record and made it to the MAC tournament championship game. Led by star guard Loren Cristian Jackson, who averages 21.6 points per game, the Zips have the firepower to pull off an upset.
On the other hand, the Creighton Bluejays are favored to win with odds of -400. They had a strong regular season, finishing with a 22-11 record and making it to the Big East tournament semifinals. Creighton is known for their high-powered offense, averaging 77.7 points per game. Marcus Zegarowski leads the team in scoring with 15.9 points per game and will be a key player to watch in this matchup.
In terms of predictions, most experts are leaning towards Creighton to come out on top in this game. The Bluejays have more experience playing in big games and have a deeper roster than Akron. However, the Zips have shown that they can compete with top teams and shouldn’t be counted out.
As for expert picks, many are predicting a close game with Creighton ultimately pulling away in the second half. The Bluejays’ offensive firepower and ability to score in bunches will be too much for Akron to handle. However, if the Zips can slow down Creighton’s offense and get hot from beyond the arc, they could pull off the upset.
Overall, this matchup between Akron and Creighton is sure to be an exciting one. Both teams have the talent and motivation to come out on top, but only one will advance to the next round of March Madness. Make sure to tune in on March 21st to see who comes out victorious in this thrilling showdown.
