It’s easy to write off Akron as a cakewalk opponent amid an eight-game losing streak that has already knocked this team out of bowl eligibility. Yet the betting market has taken it too far this week, pricing Eastern Michigan as a sizable road favorite over the host Zips.
Take a closer look at the schedule and you’ll see an Akron unit more competitive than its record suggests. In fact, since a blowout loss to Tennessee in their third game of the college football season, the Zips are 4-2 against the spread and have stayed within seven points in three of their five conference games.
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Even that’s a bit of a misnomer. In each of those two conference blowouts, Akron finished with more first downs than its opponent and also fell victim to a defensive touchdown on the other side. Look no further than last week’s loss to Miami (Ohio), which earned a 27-9 victory despite recording seven fewer first downs and a whopping 128 fewer total yards.
I’d expect a closer result against Eastern Michigan, which is just 2-3 against fellow MAC opponents and lost last week against a Toledo squad missing its starting quarterback. The Eagles have won just one game in-conference by more than four points, and its last game as a big favorite came against lowly Massachusetts, which lost by only a touchdown as a 20-point underdog.
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Simply put, Eastern Michigan hasn’t earned the respect being given by oddsmakers here, and the Zips have been competitive all year long. This one should be close.
Akron vs. Eastern Michigan pick
Akron +7.5 (BetMGM)