Ohio State vs. Akron score prediction by college football expert model

What the analytics predict for Ohio State vs. Akron in this Week 1 college football game.

Ohio State vs. Akron predictions by the expert college football model that picks winners. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

College football returns to the Horseshoe on Saturday as Ohio State debuts its new-look roster on the first step towards its national championship hopes as it hosts in-state Akron on Saturday.

Coming off three straight losses to arch-rival Michigan, the Buckeyes got aggressive in the transfer portal and came away with a blue-chip class in combination with noted returning experience.

Will Howard steps in at quarterback after posting career-high numbers at Kansas State a year ago, while former SEC rushing champ Quinshon Judkins joins a backfield already manned by TreVeyon Henderson, and former Alabama and All-American safety Caleb Downs upgrades the Buckeyes' secondary.

What do the experts think of the matchup? For that, let's turn to the SP+ prediction model to get a preview of Ohio State vs. Akron, along with the latest betting information for the game.

Ohio State vs. Akron prediction

As expected, the simulations favor the Buckeyes to win big at home against the outmatched Zips.

SP+ predicts that Ohio State will trounce Akron by a projected score of 56 to 0 and to win the game by an expected 55.5 points.

The model gives the Buckeyes a perfect 100 percent chance of victory in the game.

SP+ is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.”

Ohio State vs. Akron point spread

Ohio State comes in as the 48.5 point favorite against Akron, according to the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook, which set the total at 58.5 points for the game.

If you're using this projection to bet on the game, you should take...

• Ohio State -48.5
• Under 58.5 points

Computer prediction

Other analytic tools also clearly project Ohio State to not have any trouble in the season opener.

That includes the College Football Power Index, a computer prediction model that uses data points from both teams to simulate games 20,000 times and pick winners.

The model forecasts that Ohio State will win the game in 98.7 percent of its simulations, leaving Akron the projected winner in the remaining 1.3 percent of sims.

The index estimates that Ohio State is a projected 36.2 points better than Akron on any field, not enough to cover this point spread.

Ohio State vs. Akron game time, schedule

When: Sat., Aug. 31
Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: CBS network

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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