The Kent State Golden Flashes and Akron Zips will meet in a key rivalry game in the MAC on Tuesday night. With the famed Wagon Wheel trophy at stake, Kent State arrives at 3-6 (2-3 in MAC) while Akron checks in at 4-6 (3-3 in MAC). A loss will eliminate one of these teams from bowl eligibility. Which team will that be? Continue reading to find my Kent State vs Akron prediction.
Our Kent State vs Akron Pick
- Pick: Akron Zips -5.5
- Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
| Matchup: | Kent State Golden Flashes vs Akron Zips |
| Date & Time: | Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Venue: | InfoCision Stadium-Summa Health Field, Akron, Ohio |
| Broadcast: | ESPNU |
Key Storylines
This game is a big one for a couple of reasons. The two Ohio neighbors will fight for the trophy known as the Wagon Wheel. But it’s more important to note that both teams are playing for their lives in the chase to make a bowl game. Both of these teams already have six losses and a seventh loss would keep them away from this bowl season.
Kent State entered the season as a team that was unlikely to improve. But they’ve shown signs of life under new leadership and will try to get a win to get to within a couple of wins of bowl season. The problem for Kent State is that they haven’t won a road game yet this season, with all three of their wins this season coming on their home turf.
Akron has won two games in a row to keep its bowl aspirations alive. The Zips were 2-6 on the season before they defeated UMass and Buffalo over their last two games. The margin for error is still zero for the Zips and they will try to get another victory in a must-win game here.
Quarterback Play
Kent State signal-caller Dru DeShields has shown flashes with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions this season. But the Golden Flashes struggle to sustain drives and the Kent State run game is nearly nonexistent. Akron quarterback Ben Finley has thrown for 1,875 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven touchdowns this season. If Finley can protect the ball and Akron can get consistent production on the ground, they can control this game.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Kent State is 4-5 against the spread so far this season.
- Akron is 5-5 against the spread going into this game.
- The Zips have gone over the total in six of their first 10 games.
- The under has hit in five of Kent State’s nine outings.
- Akron is 13-10 all-time against Kent State.
Kent State vs Akron Model Projection
Score Projection: Akron 24 – Kent State 17
Win Probability: Akron 65% | Kent State 35%
Final Thoughts
My best bet for this game is for Akron to win and cover the spread at home to keep their bowl hopes alive. The Golden Flashes have dropped all five of their road games so far this year and I expect that trend to continue in Akron here. Look for Akron to set up a regular-season finale that will decide whether or not they make a bowl game by getting a third straight victory here.
