The No. 3 seed Creighton Bluejays and the No. 14 seed Akron Zips square off in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Creighton is a 12-point favorite in the latest Akron vs. Creighton odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 142.5 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any Akron vs. Creighton picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows Akron senior forward Enrique Freeman is an impactful playmaker in the lane. Freeman climbs the glass consistently and will finish through contact. He leads the team in points (18.6) and rebounds (12.9). In his last game, Freeman had 17 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.

The model also knows Creighton senior guard Baylor Scheierman is one of the best playmakers on the court for the Bluejays. Scheierman has a sweet shooting stroke to be an asset on the perimeter. The Nebraska native leads the team in scoring (18.4) and rebounds (9). In his last game, Scheierman dropped 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Now, the model has set its sights on Akron vs. Creighton. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 70% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Akron vs. Creighton, and which side of the spread hits in well over 70% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from that's on a 29-19 roll on top-rated college basketball spread picks!