Free NCAA Football Prediction: Zips vs. Tigers Odds
Looking for Akron Zips vs. Auburn Tigers free picks? College football betting sees the Zips taking on the Tigers on Saturday, September 4th at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game Week 1 predictions like this Akron Auburn free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Week 1
Akron Zips vs. Auburn Tigers
Date: Saturday, September 4th, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm EST
Venue: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: Zips +37, Tigers -37
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Akron +7500 | Auburn -20000
NCAA Betting Total Odds: O/U 55
The Akron Zips will open up their season on the road as they take on the Auburn Tigers.
Both of these teams will look to be better than they were a year ago. The Zips went 1-5 and the Tigers went 6-5 in 2020.
This game is the first one at Auburn for new head coach Bryan Harsin.
Akron Zips
As stated before, the Zips did not have a great season a year ago. Their defense was very bad as they allowed over 40 points a game and they only scored about 18 points a game. That would explain why they did not do a lot of winning.
Quarterback Zach Gibson will be back to lead the offense. His numbers in 2020 were not great, but he will look to improve them as he gets another year in this system.
One of the best offensive players on this team is running back Teon Dollard. Since he was their leading rusher a year ago, I expect him to get a healthy diet of carries in the opener vs the Tigers. He had 6 touchdowns in the COVID shortened year. Another impact player on offense is receiver Anthony Grimes.
The defense was very bad a year ago and they will face a tough test in week 1 vs Auburn. The unit is led by linebacker Bubba Arslanian. I look for him to have a good amount of tackles in this game.
Auburn Tigers
The Tigers will no longer be coached by Gus Malzahn. Bryan Harsin is now in charge of this squad. He will look to improve an Auburn squad who underperformed in the 2020 season.
One area of improvement for this team is the offense. Last year, the team only scored 25 points per game. Simply put, that will not get it cut when playing in the SEC.
There is some optimism that the offense can be better this year. Bo Nix will be under center for his sophomore season. He showed flashes of what he can be as a freshman, but he will look to be more consistent this year. Nix Threw 12 TD passes and over 2,000 yards in his first year.
Tank Bigsby was a key part of this offense as a freshman and he will likely be again this year. In his first year, he scored 5 touchdowns and rushed for 800 yards. I look for him to get used a lot in the opener vs Akron.
The defense did get shredded a few times last year, but for the most part it was good. I expect the defense to be solid again this year as many starters return for them. Some key people on their defense are Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain. I would not be surprised at all if this unit is simply too much for the Zips to handle.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- The total has gone under in 6 of Auburn’s last 8 games.
- The total has gone under in 4 of Auburn’s last 5 games played in week 1.
- The total has gone under in 6 of Auburn’s last 7 games played on a Saturday.
Free Week 1 NCAA Football Pick
I look for Auburn to start off the season in good fashion. I expect them to control of this game from start to finish.
4* Free Week 1 NCAA Betting Pick: Under 55 Points
I did consider taking the Tigers on the point spread, but I feel better with the under in this one. I do feel that Auburn will score their fair share of points, but I have a hard time seeing the Zips score that much.
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