The first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament begins Thursday, and one of the 16 games will see No. 4 UCLA take on No. 13 Akron in the West Region. It is a true David vs. Goliath matchup as UCLA (25-7) holds the all-time record for NCAA championships (11) and Final Four wins (25). Meanwhile, Akron (24-9) has never even won a game in March Madness, going winless in its four previous trips. The winner of UCLA vs. Akron will then face the Saint Mary's vs. Indiana winner on Saturday.
Akron vs. UCLA will tip off at 9:50 p.m. ET from Moda Center in Portland, Ore. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Bruins as 13.5-point favorites in the latest UCLA vs. Akron odds, while the over-under is 128.5. Before making any Akron vs. UCLA picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and NCAA Tournament betting advice from the red-hot 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 almost $1,500 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 broken down the UCLA vs. Akron matchup, and just locked in its picks and NCAA Tournament predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the March Madness odds and betting lines for Akron vs. UCLA:
- UCLA vs. Akron spread: Bruins -13.5
- UCLA vs. Akron over-under: 128.5 points
- UCLA vs. Akron money line: Bruins -1600, Zips +850
- UCLA: It is 8-3 over its 11 games played on neutral sites
- Akron: It is 0-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament
Why UCLA can cover
Experience matters when it comes to March Madness and the Bruins are overflowing with it. UCLA's top eight players in terms of points per game and minutes per game are upperclassmen, as the entire starting five from last year's Final Four team is back. They can take advantage of Akron's youth and inexperience as the Zips don't have a single senior on their entire roster.
Another area where UCLA has a huge advantage is at the free-throw line. The Bruins ranked third in their conference in FT percentage, while Akron struggled at the charity stripe. The Zips rank 60th of 68 tourney teams in FT percentage and Mick Cronin could deploy a strategy where he sends Akron to the line and forces it to convert. Akron failed to hit 60 percent of its free throws in six games this season and five of those resulted in losses.
Why Akron can cover
Akron has a style of play that's conducive to success in March. It plays slow, grind-it-out games where every possession matters and the Zips are well-positioned to win these kinds of games as they rank second in the MAC in FG percentage. Also, Akron coach John Groce is in a familiar position as a No. 13 seed as his Ohio Bobcats were the same seed 10 years ago, and all Ohio did was knock off No. 4 Michigan in the first round and advance to the Sweet 16.
The Zips are balanced offensively with four players averaging in double-figures, including sophomore Enrique Freeman. He is a force down low and leads all of Division I with a 66.1 field-goal percentage. Freeman was unstoppable in the MAC tournament as he put up 15 points per game on an astounding 82.6 percent shooting. Freeman is also a two-way player as he was the MAC's Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in rebounds (10.8) and ranking fifth in blocks (1.2).
How to make Akron vs. UCLA picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total, with seven players projected to hit double-digits in points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's UCLA vs. Akron pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Akron vs. UCLA in Thursday's NCAA Tournament matchup? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of UCLA vs. Akron you should be backing Thursday, all from the advanced model up almost $1,500 on its top-rated college basketball picks over the past five seasons, and find out.
