Akron vs. UCLA Bracket Prediction: 2022 March Madness Odds
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Nik Kowalski
No. 4 UCLA has all their key members back too and have been rewarded with a much-higher seed after a 25-7 season. The No. 13 Zips clinched a tournament berth in style beating Kent State 75-55 in the Mid-American Conference final.
Akron’s currently on an eight-game win streak, while UCLA had won five in a row prior to losing in the Pac 12 final to No. 1 Arizona. Tip-off at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter is 9:50 EDT, with UCLA a 14-point favourite and the over-under at 128.5 on the NCAAB odds.
Akron vs. UCLA NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
It’s not just the win-loss column each team is cashing in on — Akron is 7-1 against the spread in their last eight, and UCLA is 7-3 ATS in their last 10. Akron is also 8-3 as underdog this season, to entice the upset pick. The Zips went 4-2 against the spread in neutral site games this season while the Bruins were 2-3.
UCLA had one of the hardest schedules in the country this season and finished 4-4 against top 25 teams. Akron faced one top-25 team, losing by a point to Ohio State on November 9.
Akron Zips (13)
The Zips don’t have a senior on their roster, but also haven’t made the tournament since 2012–13 which makes for a mismatch in experience. Sophomores Enrique Freeman and Ali Ali are the team’s top players, with Freeman averaging a double-double and Ali leading the team in scoring (14.2) and assists (2.6) per game.
Junior guards Xavier Castraneda and Bryan Trimble Jr. also averaged double-digit points as the Zips tend to get it done by committee. Freeman had a team-high 23 points and eight rebounds on eight-of-10 shooting in Akron’s MAC-winning game, while Ali added 15 points and went four for five from the arc.
UCLA Bruins (4)
Junior guard Johnny Juzang was UCLA’s stud last tournament and is back for another run before likely departing for the NBA. Juzang led the Bruins with 16 points per game this season but enters the tournament on a little cold streak, scoring more than 10 points in one of his last six.
Juniors Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell are also back for the Bruins and play big roles for the season. Jacquez averaged 14 points a game and is a near 50 per cent shooter from the field while Campbell led the team with 4.2 assists a night this season.
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