The Zips will take the roughly 20 minute ride over to Kent State to take on the Golden Flashes in a MACtion battle for the in-state crown.

Let's see how I used the Rithmm App to create custom sports betting models to get my AI prediction for Akron vs Kent State.

Preview of Akron vs Kent State AI Prediction

• Date: Tuesday November 19th
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Location: Dix Stadium, Kent, OH
• Surface: FieldTurf
• How to Watch: CBS Sports Network

Akron Preview

The Akron Zips are not having their best season and are currently 2 - 8 overall and 1 - 5 in the MAC Conference. The Zips have lost two in a row including last week to Northern Illinois 29 - 16.

The Zips are led by quarterback Ben Finley who has 2,160 yards on the season going 188 of 337 with 13 touchdowns, 9 interceptions and 23 sacks. Finley's favorite target this season has been wide receiver Adrian Norton who has 38 catches for 724 yards and seven touchdowns. Norton is averaging 19.1 yards per catch and could pose a big problem for a Kent St defense that has given up almost 522 yards per game.

Running back Jordon Simmons leads the team in rushing with 551 yards on 99 carries for a 5.6 yards per carry average along with two touchdowns.

Akron is not ranked in the AP Top 25 and is ranked 125th in the ESPN College Football Power Index for 2024.

Kent State Preview

The Golden Flashes are 1 - 21 under head coach Kenni Burns and they are currently 0 - 10 on the season overall and 0 - 6 in the MAC Conference. Kent State lost last week to Miami OH 34 - 7 but did cover the -31 spread.

Quarterback Tommy Ulatowski has thrown for 1,035 yards on 62 of 143 passing. He has 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season and has been sacked 20 times. Their running game has been fairly stagnant as well as their leading rusher, Ky Thomas, has 488 yards on 122 carries for a 4.0 average and one touchdown.

Last season Kent State held Akron to 93.2 yards rushing and with the Zips only averaging 82 yards per game this season, Kent has a chance to make Akron a one trick pony and forcing them into their pass game.

Kent State is not ranked in the AP Top 25 and is ranked 134th (last) in the ESPN College Football Power Index for 2024.

How I use Models for Akron vs Kent State AI Prediction

I have two very conflicting models for this game and it has brought me to a point of having to decide based on other metrics and how I feel about my own College Football Computer Picks.

And ultimately my choice comes down to the fact that the Zips have covered the spread more than the Golden Flashes this season and that Akron is playing substantially better in most categories than Kent State.

The money is pretty heavy to Akron covering this with a 79% bet split and when you couple that with the overall play of the Zips and the Rithmm models leaning Zips, sometimes you just have to roll with it.

I'll be taking the Zips -10.

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This AI-driven analysis is just a glimpse of what you can expect when using Rithmm. Whether you are looking to refine your betting strategy or want to explore in-depth data trends, Rithmm's AI tools for sports betting has all you need. Don't miss out on making more informed decisions and download the Rithmm app today for full access to our AI college football predictions and custom sports betting models.