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MAC rivals battle it out when the Kent State Golden Flashes (14-9) go on the road to play the Akron Zips (16-6) on Friday night. On Tuesday, Kent State topped Bowling Green 76-68 to win its fifth straight game. On the other side, Akron has won three straight games. The Zips beat Northern Illinois 70-64 in their last matchup. Akron is third in the MAC standings with a 9-3 conference mark, half a game ahead of Kent State's 9-4 MAC record. 

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Zips at -3 in the latest Kent State vs. Akron odds, while the over-under for total points is set at 130. Before locking in any Akron vs. Kent State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,300 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Akron vs. Kent State, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Kent State vs. Akron:

  • Kent State vs. Akron spread: Zips -3
  • Kent State vs. Akron over-under: 130 points
  • Kent State vs. Akron money line: Golden Flashes +140, Zips -160
  • AKR: Zips are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 home games
  • KENT: Golden Flashes are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games overall

Why Akron can cover 

Junior guard Xavier Castaneda is averaging 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and is shooting 41 percent from downtown. Castaneda has scored in double figures in nine of his last 10 games, including two performances with more than 20 points. His best game during that stretch came in a win against Ball State. The Illinois native had a season-best 29 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Sophomore forward Enrique Freeman is averaging a double-double for Akron with 12.9 points and 11 rebounds per game. He is also second in the MAC in field-goal percentage (.649). Freeman has recorded 12 double-doubles on the year so far. In his last outing against Northern Illinois, Freeman finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. The Ohio native has been consistent on the glass, grabbing at least 10 boards in seven straight games. 

Why Kent State can cover

Redshirt junior guard Sincere Carry is averaging 17.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Carry has been the No. 1 scoring option for the Golden Flashes. The Missouri native has tallied at least 20 points in eight games thus far. During the Jan. 14 battle against Akron, Carry went off. He dropped 32 points, four rebounds and shot 6-for-10 from deep.

Redshirt junior guard Malique Jacobs puts up 11.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. Even though Jacobs is 6-foot-3, he has been a terrific rebounder for Kent State, grabbing double-digit boards in multiple games. On Jan. 29 against Bowling Green, Jacobs filled up the stat sheet. He finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. 

How to make Kent State vs. Akron picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 139 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Akron vs. Kent State? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $2,300 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.