Who's Playing

Buffalo @ Akron

Regular Season Records: Buffalo 15-16; Akron 21-10

What to Know

The Buffalo Bulls haven't won a contest against the Akron Zips since March 12 of 2021, but they'll be looking to end the drought Thursday. Buffalo and Akron are set to clash at 6:30 p.m. ET March 9 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tourney. The Bulls should still be riding high after a win, while the Zips will be looking to get back in the win column.

Buffalo didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup with the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks last Friday, but they still walked away with a 68-63 victory. The top scorer for Buffalo was forward Isaiah Adams (16 points).

Meanwhile, Akron was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap last week as they fell 89-84 to the Kent State Golden Flashes. Guard Xavier Castaneda wasn't much of a difference maker for Akron; Castaneda picked up four fouls and turned the ball over five times en route to a 2-for-13, 13-point finish.

The Bulls are expected to lose this next one by 7. Those playing the odds have seen things go back and forth with Buffalo, who are 15-14 against the spread.

Akron's defeat took them down to 21-10 while Buffalo's victory pulled them up to 15-16. If Buffalo want to win, they will need to focus on stopping the Zips' forward Enrique Freeman, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 12 boards, and forward Sammy Hunter, who shot 5-for-11 from beyond the arc and finished with 26 points. We'll see whether or not they are up to the challenge.

How To Watch

  • When: Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse -- Cleveland, Ohio
  • TV: ESPN Plus
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Zips are a solid 7-point favorite against the Bulls, 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 7-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Akron and Buffalo both have nine wins in their last 18 games.

  • Feb 18, 2023 - Akron 86 vs. Buffalo 66
  • Jan 31, 2023 - Akron 81 vs. Buffalo 64
  • Mar 10, 2022 - Akron 70 vs. Buffalo 68
  • Jan 01, 2022 - Akron 88 vs. Buffalo 76
  • Mar 12, 2021 - Buffalo 81 vs. Akron 74
  • Mar 02, 2021 - Buffalo 80 vs. Akron 78
  • Feb 29, 2020 - Akron 86 vs. Buffalo 73
  • Jan 28, 2020 - Buffalo 77 vs. Akron 74
  • Mar 14, 2019 - Buffalo 82 vs. Akron 46
  • Feb 26, 2019 - Buffalo 77 vs. Akron 64
  • Feb 12, 2019 - Buffalo 76 vs. Akron 70
  • Feb 27, 2018 - Buffalo 80 vs. Akron 68
  • Jan 09, 2018 - Buffalo 87 vs. Akron 65
  • Feb 24, 2017 - Akron 89 vs. Buffalo 83
  • Jan 28, 2017 - Akron 91 vs. Buffalo 90
  • Mar 12, 2016 - Buffalo 64 vs. Akron 61
  • Feb 16, 2016 - Akron 80 vs. Buffalo 70
  • Jan 05, 2016 - Akron 75 vs. Buffalo 71