The Wyoming Cowboys take on the Akron Zips in Akron, Ohio, on Thursday, Aug. 28. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Wyoming is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -205. Akron, meanwhile, comes in at +170 to pull off the upset. The total is set at 47.5 points.
Here’s my Wyoming vs. Akron prediction and college football picks for Thursday, August 28.
Wyoming vs Akron Prediction
- Wyoming vs. Akron Pick: Akron +5.5
My Akron vs. Wyoming best bet is on the Zips to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Wyoming vs Akron Odds
| Wyoming Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | -205 |
| Akron Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 47.5 -110o / -110u | +170 |
Wyoming vs Akron College Football Betting Preview
Wyoming Cowboys Betting Preview: Defense a Concern
Year 1 post-Craig Bohl was a borderline disaster for Wyoming. The Pokes finished 3-9 but were even less competitive than the record indicates, finishing 121st in points per drive and 82nd in points per drive allowed.
A few key players return, namely quarterback Kaden Anderson and tight end John Michael Gyllenborg. Anderson was a late bloomer, taking over as the starting QB in Week 9.
His best performance came against New Mexico — the country's worst pass defense — but the offense picked it up slightly when Anderson was at the helm.
Despite missing much of the season, JMG earned all-conference honors and landed on Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List" this summer.
It appears 2023's 9-4 finish was more the anomaly than the standard while playing "Bohl Ball."
Head coach Jay Sawvel attempted to continue the plodding, run-oriented offense bolstered by a stout defense, but the approach tanked. First downs were a particular pain point, marred by predictable play-calling.
Will new offensive coordinator Jay Johnson — who also serves as the quarterbacks coach — remedy that?
Sawvel's defense found a way to get off the field on late downs last season, but rarely were opponents put in third downs to begin with.
That defense took a hit, losing starting tackle Caleb Robinson for the season (Achilles), and some rotators suffered injuries this fall. It's already a thin unit made thinner by the absences.
The secondary is also young and inexperienced, making the defense as a whole a real concern.
Akron Zips Betting Preview: Do Zips Have Anything to Play For?
What happens to a MAC team when there's no carrot at the end of the stick? We'll soon find out, as Akron faces a one-year postseason ban due to not meeting the necessary Academic Progress Rate score over the last few years.
With head coach Joe Moorhead potentially on the hot seat — or, more accurately, Akron on the hot seat from retaining him — the Zips face an uphill battle with no real payoff.
But what kind of effect does that have on Akron's week-to-week performance? At the start, probably not much, as players still have resumes to fill, whether it be for an NFL future or those looking to transfer this winter.
Quarterback Ben Finley returns after a decent but not stellar year. However, pretty much anyone else with noteworthy production on offense does not.
It's the reality for Akron — develop some players and watch them leave almost immediately. Three experienced transfers bolster the offensive line, all from the JUCO or FCS level.
This offense needs to find anything to get going in 2025. Perhaps Tennessee State transfer Jordan Gant can continue the marginal ground success from last year, but there was absolutely no explosiveness to supplement a plodding rushing attack.
It's a bad combination with a secondary that allowed too many explosive plays and a defensive front that was unable to generate any pressure. But that defense did manage to slow down opposing rushing attacks on a down-to-down basis.
Wyoming vs Akron Pick, Betting Analysis
What a weird and wonderful matchup we're afforded on Thursday night. It's the first time these two teams have ever met on the gridiron, and both have pretty bleak outlooks for 2025.
Against foes like Nebraska and Toledo, Akron's defensive front likely won't amount to much. But against a struggling run-focused offense like Wyoming, it might just be enough.
The Pokes' backfield turns over after losing one of its better players in Harrison Waylee (Virginia) and benching mobile QB Evan Svoboda.
Wyoming's offensive line returns four starters, and that unit generated a marginal push last year. It's strength-on-strength, as Akron rated well in Rush Explosiveness allowed and Stuff Rate.
Where the Zips are vulnerable (through the air), the Pokes don't threaten much.
Data shows homefield advantage is significantly less impactful over the last five years than it's ever been. Akron, a stadium that's typically less than half full, doesn't boast much in the way of home-field advantage.
But Laramie to Akron is a long trip, and the Pokes don't have the added advantage of playing juiced up in an environment like Utah. This is a sleepy Thursday night environment between two teams with bad offenses and a defense that matches up well.
I'm following the movement and siding with the home 'dog.
Pick: Akron +5.5
