Akron vs NIU NCAA Football Picks 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Huskie Stadium

Zach Gibson and the Akron Zips go to Huskie Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the NIU Huskies. The odds on this matchup have NIU as 24.5-point favorites. The Zips are 0-7-0 ATS and 3-4-0 when betting on the total. The Huskies are 3-4-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-3-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Akron Zips played the Buffalo Bulls and were beaten 21-0. Decavilon Reese led the team on the ground during the game. He tore off a long run of 17 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He scurried for 37 yards by way of 8 carries which means he ran for an average of 4.6 yards per run. Julian Hicks was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 51 yards on 9 receptions. He averaged 5.7 yards per catch during the game. Leading the way at QB for the Zips was Zach Gibson who went 22/39 with 193 yards passing but wasn't able to throw a ball for a TD. He gave away 1 pick on the day. The Zips ran the football 21 times and totaled 3 yards including losses on sacks. On the day, the Zips earned 11 first downs and they had a total of 9 penalties for 68 yards telling us that this team had an undisciplined week of practice. On the day, they ran 60 plays for a total of 196 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Akron gave up 14 catches on 23 attempts for a total of 65 yards, and a completion percentage of 60.9%. In the running game, the Zips gave up 189 yards on 42 carries which is an average of 4.5 yards per attempt allowed. For this contest, they conceded 254 yards and forced 1 turnover.

The Zips come into this matchup with a record of 0-7 this season. For total yards, they are currently ranked 11th in the conference and 124th in D-1 with 2,055 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the worst in the country averaging 12.3 points per game, which has them at 130th in D-1. As a unit, they are averaging 50.4 rushing yards per contest which is 12th in the Mid-American Conference. The Zips have one of the most lackluster defenses in the country, allowing 33.9 points per game ranking them 10th in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Zips have conceded 1,702 yards. Opponents are completing 65.5% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.6 yards per try. In terms of yards rushing, Akron is allowing 198.7 yards per game putting them 8th in the MAC and 107th in college football. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.6 yards per rush which has them at 5th in the conference and 90th in D-1 overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,391 rushing yards through 7 games.

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In their last contest, the NIU Huskies played the Miami RedHawks and lost 27-24. Tre Harbison paced the team on the ground for that game. He had a long run of 12 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He scurried for 83 yards by way of 26 carries which meant he averaged 3.2 yards per run. Cole Tucker was the receiving yardage leader by racking up 82 yards on 6 receptions. He averaged 13.7 yards per catch for that game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Huskies was Marcus Childers who went 14/23 with 144 yards passing and threw 1 touchdown. He finished the game without throwing an interception. The Huskies ended up running the ball 42 times and earned 117 yards earning them an average of 2.8 yards per carry. Overall, the Huskies earned 22 1st downs and they had 1 penalty for 5 yards which is telling of the great week of practice this squad had. In the game, they ran 77 plays which gave them a total of 352 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, NIU gave up 15 catches on 28 tries for a total of 273 yards, and a completion percentage of 53.6%. For the game, they conceded 361 yards but didn't force any takeaways. Against the run, the Huskies gave up 88 yards on 32 tries which gave them an average of 2.8 yards per attempt allowed.

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The Huskies come into this game with a record of 2-5. NIU needs to do more to make teams respect their running game by averaging 110.4 yards on the ground per game, putting them 115th in college football. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 773 yards rushing through 7 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Huskies average 382.9 yards per contest overall putting them 87th in Division 1 and 7th in the MAC. The Huskies are conceding 29 points per contest ranking them 6th in the conference and 80th in college football. When talking about points given up, they have allowed 203 total points. In regard to rushing yards, they are giving up 167.4 yards per contest ranking them 79th in Division 1 and 4th in the MAC. This season, they have conceded a total of 1,172 yards on the ground and 16.1 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the mediocre groups in Division 1. They are giving up 206.3 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Huskies are ranked 2nd in the MAC.

Who will win tonight's Zips/Huskies college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Zips +24.5

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