Free Week 4 Prediction: Mountaineers vs Zips Odds
Looking for Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Akron Zips free picks? Week 4 College football betting sees the Mountaineers taking on the Zips Saturday September 24th at InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football predictions.
Week 4
(1-2) Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Akron Zips (2-1)
Date: Saturday, September 24th
Time: 3:30 pm EST
Venue: InfoCision Stadium in Akron, Ohio
NCAA Football Spread: Appalachian State -6
NCAA Betting Total: 56.5
Live CFB Odds
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After challenging a ranked team in Week 1, the Mountaineers proved to be no real challenge in their second matchup with a ranked team as Miami (FL) rolled over them.
After a pair of tough tests in their first three games, Appalachian State will certainly welcome a more comparable opponent in this week’s matchup with Akron.
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Akron got blown out in their one tough game as they lost 54-10 at Wisconsin. They responded in Week 3 with a 65-38 thrashing of Marshall despite entering the game as a 16.5 point underdog.
Appalachian State Mountaineers
The Mountaineers put a real scare into Tennessee in Week 1 – taking the 9th ranked Vols to overtime on their own turf.
That likely didn’t do them any favors for their matchup with Miami as they no longer held an advantage of potentially sneaking up on the Hurricanes.
The Mountaineer defense that looked dominant once again in their first two games couldn’t do much to slow Miami down.
The Mountaineers gave up just 19.1 points per game in 2015 but surrendered 45 at home to the Hurricanes.
The Mountaineer defense and rushing attack are the two keys to their success and will be up against an Akron defense that gave up 294 rushing yards to Wisconsin.
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The combination of their rushing attack and defense can allow the Mountaineers to control the tempo of the game. This is important because they are in big trouble if the game turns into a shootout. The Appalachian State passing attack has been very weak – averaging just 136 passing yards per game through three games.
They will need to limit their turnovers as Akron turned Marshall over 4 times last week – the main reason behind the Zips’ win despite being outgained.
Akron Zips
Despite giving up 31 first downs and 560 yards, Akron managed to beat Marshall last week by 27 points. They used a 34-0 2nd quarter to take control and never looked back.
Forcing 4 turnovers was a big reason for their success and that will be difficult to repeat this week against Appalachian State. The Mountaineers have turned the ball over just once each game this season.
The key to Akron’s success will be to get their passing game going early. The Mountaineers always look to control the tempo and a couple 3-and-outs early on for the Zips could have them scrambling while Appalachian State owns the clock in the first half.
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Playing a bend, don’t break style of defense against Appalachian State is the best chance of beating them. Their rushing attack is dynamic and quarterback Taylor Lamb can make plays with his arm if you load up the box.
Appalachian State is the worst offense in the FBS on third down having converted just 7 of 39 attempts through 3 games. Forcing them into 3rd and long when their preferred play type is a run play will make that poor third down efficiency an even bigger issue.
I am worried about the Zips ability to get stops on defense though. They needed a 21-0 4th quarter in Week 1 to knock off a FCS team and relied on forcing 4 turnovers last week to pick up the win.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- • Under is 7-1 in Appalachian State’s last 8 games in September
- • Under is 7-2 in Appalachian State’s last 9 non-conference games.
- • Under is 8-3 in Akron’s last 11 home games.
- • Akron is 5-8 ATS in their last 13 home games.
Free Week 4 NCAA Football Prediction
While Appalachian State might not be ready to hang around with ranked power conference teams, they can certainly hold their own against the rest of the FBS.
The Mountaineers went 11-2 last season with one loss to Clemson before beating a MAC team in their bowl game.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick: Appalachian State -6.0
Akron could be one of the surprise teams this season in the MAC as their new players gain experience.
However, Appalachian State should be too much to handle in a game that they will be trying to gain the nation’s respect back after getting blown out by Miami.
BONUS Pick: Under 56.5
Week 4 Free Score Prediction: Appalachian State 31 – Akron 20
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