Akron vs. Eastern Michigan Predictions, Picks & Odds Week 12: Akron to Struggle Without Irons?

Check out our Akron vs. Eastern Michigan prediction for their Week 12 college football matchup based on the best NCAAF odds.

Mike Spector

Last Updated: November 14, 2023 5:00 PM EST • 5 minute read

The Zips and Eagles play one of three games in a Tuesday night MAC tripleheader, and we offer our top Akron vs. Eastern Michigan prediction based on the best college football odds.

Akron (2-8, 1-5 MAC) is one of two teams in the MAC East with a sub-.500 record in league play. The Zips secured their lone conference victory with a 31-27 comeback against Kent State two weeks ago. This win marked Akron's first comeback of 17 or more points since 2018, breaking a streak of 38 consecutive losses in games where they trailed by that margin.

In contrast, Eastern Michigan (4-6, 2-4 MAC) is in the midst of a three-game losing streak and needs to prevail in its final two contests to attain bowl eligibility. The Eagles are among the three MAC teams entering Week 12 with three or more consecutive losses.

Here is our best Akron vs. Eastern Michigan prediction and our college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Akron vs. Eastern Michigan prediction: Week 12

Under 39.5 (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

Eastern Michigan’s home and road splits are egregious, as it is 4-1 at home and winless in five road games. Granted, two of those road games were non-conference tilts against Minnesota and Jacksonville State, but the Eagles' defense has allowed 28.2 points per game on the road and 21.8 points at home. Eastern Michigan has allowed an average of 47 points over the last two weeks to the league’s two highest-scoring teams (Toledo and Western Michigan). Still, its defense should get right against an Akron offense that looks lost since the season-ending injury to its starting quarterback.

Since DJ Irons suffered a torn ACL in late September, Akron has struggled offensively. The Zips have topped 14 points just once in the previous five games, and its worst offensive performance came last week in a shutout loss to Miami (OH), where they totaled just 212 yards and averaged 1.6 yards per carry on 23 attempts. Akron’s lack of a passing threat is a big reason it ranks 83rd in Stuff Rate and outside the top 110 in Passing Downs Success Rate, and both of Irons’ replacements (Jeff Undercuffler Jr. and Tahj Bullock) have been detriments offensively with a combined 5-11 TD-INT ratio.

Despite its low offensive ceiling, Akron’s defense has been a strength all season. The Zips entered last week ranked in the top 60 in the country in Rush Success, Pass Success, Line Yards, and tackling (per PFF’s Tackling Grades). They held Miami (OH) to just 11 first downs and 236 total yards last week, and we should see a similar cautious offensive approach from Eastern Michigan, knowing it does not have to put up a ton of points to beat the Zips.

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Akron vs. Eastern Michigan best odds

FanDuel (-110)

DraftKings	FanDuel	BetMGM	Caesars	bet365
39	39.5	39	39	39
Under (-110)	Under (-110)	Under (-110)	Under (-110)	Under (-110)

FanDuel is the easy choice as our go-to shop as Under backers, as it is the only one of our best sports betting apps offering an O/U of 39.5 compared to 39.

Since no real weather concerns would cause this line to plummet between now and kickoff, we are comfortable backing the O/U of 39.5 now instead of waiting for the line to move further.

Akron vs. Eastern Michigan odds

Akron vs. Eastern Michigan odds analysis

FanDuel is the only sportsbook that has seen fluctuation in its total this week, initially going from an O/U of 38.5 down to 37.5 before spiking back up two points to 39.5. Other shops like BetMGM stayed steady at 38.5 for the first few days before ticking up slightly to 39. Despite the line moving toward the Over at several places, the early betting splits are still 50/50. The Over has cashed in four of Akron’s last five November games.

Most of our best sports betting sites are in unison with a point spread of Eastern Michigan -4.5, with BetRivers the only one differing at -5. This line opened as high as -8 on Friday afternoon at FanDuel and has also come down slightly from -5 at Caesars over the weekend. Eastern Michigan has drawn 81% of the early point spread bets.

Akron vs. Eastern Michigan game info

When: Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, MI
How to watch: CBSSN
Weather: 53 degrees, 7% chance of precipitation, wind 7 mph SSW

Akron-Eastern Michigan prediction made 11/13/2023 at 11:38 a.m. ET.

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Written by:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”