Halftime Report
Their last head-to-head back in January was close, and so far it looks like that’s how Akron and Miami (Ohio) will finish this one. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Akron leads 37-35 over Miami (Ohio).
Akron entered the match with two straight losses and they’re well on their way to making it three. Can they turn things around, or will Miami (Ohio) hand them another loss? Only time will tell.
Who’s Playing
Miami (Ohio) RedHawks @ Akron Zips
Current Records: Miami (Ohio) 15-16, Akron 21-10
How To Watch
What to Know
Akron is 8-2 against Miami (Ohio) since January of 2019, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Akron Zips and the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks are set to clash at 4:00 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in a Mid American postseason contest. Coming off a loss in a game Akron was expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
Akron pushed their score all the way to 84 on Friday, but even that wasn’t enough to win. They fell 90-84 to the Broncos. Akron was up 17 in the first but still couldn’t manage to seal the deal.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Greg Tribble, who scored 18 points along with five assists. He didn’t help Akron’s cause all that much against Eastern Michigan last Tuesday but the same can’t be said for this match. Ali Ali was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with six assists.
Meanwhile, the RedHawks also suffered a loss in their last game, but this one to the Bobcats by a score of 72-59. Miami (Ohio) got off to an early lead (up 13 with 3:20 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren’t able to maintain that momentum.
Eian Elmer put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 12 points along with seven rebounds and three blocks.
The Zips’ defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 21-10. As for the RedHawks, they now have a losing record at 15-16.
Thursday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Akron have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.4 rebounds per game. It’s a different story for Miami (Ohio), though, as they’ve been averaging only 33.4 rebounds per game. Given Akron’s sizable advantage in that area, Miami (Ohio) will need to find a way to close that gap.
Akron couldn’t quite finish off Miami (Ohio) in their previous meeting back in January and fell 70-68. Can Akron avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Akron is a big 8-point favorite against Miami (Ohio), according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 8-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 134.5 points.
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Series History
Akron has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Miami (Ohio).
- Jan 27, 2024 – Miami (Ohio) 70 vs. Akron 68
- Jan 24, 2023 – Akron 73 vs. Miami (Ohio) 68
- Feb 06, 2022 – Akron 71 vs. Miami (Ohio) 59
- Feb 04, 2022 – Akron 66 vs. Miami (Ohio) 55
- Feb 12, 2021 – Akron 83 vs. Miami (Ohio) 76
- Feb 22, 2020 – Akron 75 vs. Miami (Ohio) 65
- Jan 21, 2020 – Akron 81 vs. Miami (Ohio) 60
- Mar 11, 2019 – Akron 80 vs. Miami (Ohio) 51
- Feb 23, 2019 – Akron 70 vs. Miami (Ohio) 58
- Jan 19, 2019 – Miami (Ohio) 68 vs. Akron 61
