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Akron vs Creighton picks, predictions, odds: Who wins March Madness NCAA Tournament game?

No. 14 seed Akron and No. 3 seed Creighton play Thursday, March 21 in an NCAA Tournament first-round game in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Midwest Region game is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT and can be seen on TNT (stream with Sling TV).

Who will win the March Madness game and advance to the second round?

Check out these NCAA Tournament first-round picks and predictions for the men's college basketball matchup.

Creighton is a 12.5-point favorite in the game in March Madness odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The Bluejays are -1100 on the moneyline. The Zips are +650. The over/under for the game is set at 139.5 points.

Thursday's March Madness picks, predictions: Michigan State vs Mississippi State | Duquesne vs BYU | Akron vs Creighton | Long Beach State vs Arizona | Morehead State vs. Illinois | Oregon vs South Carolina | Nevada vs Dayton | Oakland vs Kentucky | McNeese vs Gonzaga | South Dakota State vs Iowa State | Saint Peter's vs Tennessee | NC State vs Texas Tech | Samford vs Kansas | Drake vs Washington State

Friday's March Madness picks, predictions: Northwestern vs Florida Atlantic | Colgate vs Baylor | UAB vs San Diego State | Western Kentucky vs Marquette | Stetson vs UConn | New Mexico vs Clemson | Yale vs Auburn | Texas A&M vs Nebraska | Vermont vs Duke | Charleston vs Alabama | Longwood vs Houston | James Madison vs Wisconsin | TCU vs Utah State | Grand Canyon vs Saint Mary's

Beacon Journal: Akron 65, Creighton 62

It writes: "Akron's defense-first approach will be tested by Creighton's high-powered offense. The Bluejays scored 75 or more points in 11 of their last 14 games. They lost two of the three games they didn't reach that mark. Akron wants to keep the game in the 60s, just like they did in the MAC Tournament semifinals and championship game. If Akron can avoid any lengthy scoring droughts, and prevent an extended Creighton run, the Zips are looking at their first NCAA Tournament win."

March Madness TV schedule: Television channels, streaming, how to watch NCAA Tournament

DraftKings: Bet Creighton to beat Akron in NCAA Tournament

Grace McDermott writes: "Despite the Bluejays’ early exit from the Big East tournament, this is a team that has the potential to make a deep run into March. Creighton relies more on two-point shooting while Akron defends from the three, so this will be a fairly major mismatch."

Will Creighton beat Akron in the NCAA Tournament? March Madness picks, prediction and odds weigh in on the first-round game.
Will Creighton beat Akron in the NCAA Tournament? March Madness picks, prediction and odds weigh in on the first-round game.

Picks and Parlays: Creighton 80, Akron 71

Garrett Beaverson: "Akron's path to victory is a heavy dose of Freeman and Ali on the interior, and their guards will need to supply some support from outside the arc. Unfortunately, Creighton has outstanding big men in Scheierman and Kalkbrenner. The Bluejays will come out on top, but not after a scare from Akron."

March Madness game odds: Point spreads, moneylines, over/unders for NCAA Tournament 2024

FOX Sports: Creighton 78, Akron 67

It writes: "Creighton has a 17-7 record in games when it was listed as the moneyline favorite (winning 70.8% of those games). This season, Akron has won three out of the nine games in which it has been the underdog. Creighton has a record of 5-1 in games it has played as a moneyline favorite with odds of -800 or shorter (winning 83.3%)."

ESPN: Creighton has an 89.5% chance to beat Akron in March Madness

The site gives the Zips a 10.5% shot at defeating the Bluejays in Thursday's first-round March Madness NCAA Tournament game.

March Madness NCAA Tournament odds: Who is favored to win 2024 national championship?

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STREAM THE GAME: Watch Akron vs. Creighton live with Sling TV

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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Akron vs Creighton March Madness NCAA Tournament picks, predictions