Ohio State vs. University of Akron Betting Preview: Odds, Prediction, Picks

The No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes will be hosting the Akron Zips for a Saturday night matchup at 7:30 p.m. EST on Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes come into this game 2-1 with their only loss against No. 12 Oregon who has now jumped to No. 3. Akron is 1-2 with losses to Auburn and Temple.

Ohio State was able to get back on track with a 41-20 win over Tulsa but struggled to get a commanding lead until the very end as they only held a 27-20 advantage with under four minutes to go. Akron was able to get their first win of the season last week against Bryant where they dominated winning 35-14.

Odds

Ohio State is an early 49 point favorite for this game. There are the same odds of -110 to bet Ohio State to win by more than 49 and Akron to cover. The over/under for the game currently stands at 67.5 with the odds of -110 to bet the over or the under.

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Keys to an Akron Win

There are not many keys that go into on this one. Akron defeated Ohio State one time and that was in 1894. The next seven games went to the Buckeyes. With that being said, there is some talent on this team, especially behind sophomore quarterback DJ Irons.

He is completing 75.9 percent of his passes with 534 total yards and five touchdowns. He is also leading the team in rushing with 165 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Akron will need a perfect game from their young quarterback to stay in this game. 

As the odds show, Akron is not expected to be close in this game. If Akron is able to keep it close, this would be a win for this overpowered Akron team.

Keys to an Ohio State Win

This game is more of a tune-up for an Ohio State team that is focused on turning its fortunes to get back in the college football playoff picture. They’ve got their work cut out for them this season, but this will not be one of those games. They will be focusing on getting their consistency and rhythm on both sides of the ball to take them into the conference play.

Quarterback CJ Stroud is not having a great season, but he is a true freshman. He needs time to get comfortable playing college ball, and this will be a great game for him to get that confidence. 

Although he is struggling in some parts of his game, he is almost doubling Irons’ total passing yards with 963. He also has 8 touchdowns to add to his resume. Trey Henderson is having himself a year as the lead running back averaging 9.1 yards per carry and four total touchdowns.

Ohio State would like to see more out of their defense who has struggled in their first three games. A game against an overpowered opponent may be just what they need to figure out their issues.

Expected Outcome

Ohio State will have no issues winning this game. I don’t think that they will win by 49, but it will be a much-needed game for both the offense and the defense to figure out what works and what doesn’t as they move into a tougher portion of their schedule.