Can Akron Cover the 49 Point Spread? Ohio State vs. Akron Betting Picks & Predictions

Well, the title here says it all. We are talking about a game with a 49 point spread and this is ALWAYS dicey. No matter what happens in this game on the field, this bet is probably won while getting into the mind of the Ohio State coaching staff and that is the key to me in this game. 

Akron’s Struggles

Let’s be honest here. Akron STINKS. I mean… STINKS. This is the second-worst program in FBS college football only ahead of UConn, whose coach literally just quit the team two weeks into the season. Akron has played three games this year. They lost by 50 to Auburn, 21 by Temple, and they beat Bryant last week. Temple lost to Rutgers by 50 the week before and their backup quarterback averaged over eight yards per play. Auburn averaged over 10 yards per play. Ohio State should score on every possession if they want and there isn’t really much to get into on that end.

On offense, can Akron score points?

Maybe, and I do think that this is a major aspect of this game, maybe even the biggest part when it comes to the spread. Akron has moved the ball in their last two games, but that isn’t against Ohio State. Against Auburn, Akron ended with 10 points but had zero drives over 30 yards until late into the third quarter. Now, Ohio State’s defense STINKS too, but there are 2 things that concern me for Akron in this matchup. 

I think that a lot of Ohio State’s best defensive players right now are freshmen. Heck, I think you could argue that four of their five best defensive players against Tulsa were freshmen and this is a great spot to let those guys get more reps and I don’t really think that we will see this late-game letdown because there really isn’t a huge difference between units for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State’s defense stinks, but is it possible that Akron doesn’t even meet the minimum athletic standards to even compete physically in this game at any point? I think it's possible that while Ohio State hasn’t looked great on defense, that playing against Akron relative to three teams that have competent players could cure a lot of these issues because Akron doesn’t have the ability to exploit any issues. 

Ohio State’s Offensive Decisions

The Buckeyes starting QB CJ Stroud is definitely hurt, but he has been hurt all season and is expected to play. I do think that we *could* see him miss the game or leave early, but I don’t expect this to change the outcome much at all. For that reason, I’d likely avoid betting the Buckeyes until we do get QB confirmation because I would be in on a decreased line with a backup QB.

I think that the Buckeyes could score 70 points in this game because it is simply a get right spot and a chance to showcase young players that basically have not played. Julian Fleming, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Emeka Egbuka would be the most talented Big Ten receiver group and maybe even a Top 5 unit in the entire country, especially from a talent perspective, and the Buckeyes have four D1 QBs on the roster.

Will OSU Pour It On?

The question is, will they be running out the last 15 minutes or will they be showcasing this talent? Well, I think we could see them let it rip for a few reasons.

Stroud is hurt and struggling a bit early in games. If Ohio State had to do something at QB, having 0 pass attempts at backup QB would be problematic. Also, Marcus Crowley is the 4th string RB and he was out last week. Evan Pryor is the 5th guy, but he is a bit small to get 15 carries in the fourth quarter. Will any of Teague, Williams, or Henderson get 4th quarter touches? I can’t imagine that is the case. I think we see them air it out. 

The Pick:

Roll with the Buckeyes here 73-10 in a get right spot.