The Kent State Golden Flashes take on the Akron Zips in Akron, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Akron is favored by 11.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -800. The total is set at 170.5 points.
Here’s my Kent State vs. Akron prediction and college basketball picks for January 30, 2026.
Kent State vs Akron Prediction
My Pick: Kent State +10 or Better
My Kent State vs Akron best bet is on the Golden Flashes to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Kent State vs. Akron Odds
| Kent State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -110 | 170.5 -110 / -110 | +550 |
| Akron Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -110 | 170.5 -110 / -110 | -800 |
- Kent State vs Akron spread: Akron -11.5
- Kent State vs Akron over/under: 170.5 points
- Kent State vs Akron moneyline: Kent State +550, Akron -800
Kent State vs Akron College Basketball Betting Preview
There’s a chance that Akron might be the best team in the MAC. But if I’m getting double digits with the Flashes, I have to take it.
This is going to be a track meet. Both teams want to push tempo. Neither team is going to try to slow things down. This game will likely be played in the 80s, if not the 90s.
Kent State took Miami (OH) 15 rounds, and the Flashes had a chance to win it late in regulation before losing in overtime.
But the other big takeaway from that game is that Delrecco Gillespie is in the running for MAC Player of the Year. The MAC is deep, but Gillespie is as good a player as there is in the league, and his battle with Amani Lyles might ultimately decide this matchup.
But Lyles gets in foul trouble a lot, averaging over four fouls per game. If he hits the bench for an extended period of time, that’ll give Gillespie and the Flashes plenty of opportunities to win in the post and on the offensive glass.
Gillespie can get to the line at a super high clip, so I think head coach Rob Senderoff will feed the big man early and often, both to get easy offense and get Lyles out of the game.
There isn’t much you can do against Akron’s elite backcourt, but Kent State should be able to win on the boards and start to win the math problem with a shot-volume advantage.
At any double-digit number, I’ll back the Flashes.
My Pick: Kent State +10 or Better
