MAC Tournament Odds, Predictions & Schedule 2023
- The MAC Tournament tips off on Thursday, March 9th and runs until Saturday March 11th
- Top seed Toledo won the regular season title, but no. 2 seed Kent State is the betting favorite
- The latest MAC Tournament odds are listed below, along with the format and predictions
For the third consecutive season Toledo took down the MAC regular season title. That success hasn’t translated into an NCAA Tournament bid however, as they’ve been bounced early from the conference tournament in back-to-back years.
The Rockets are still searching for their first appearance in the March Madness bracket since the 1979-80 season, but oddsmakers don’t believe it will happen this year.
Toledo is the number one seed for the Mac Tournament which tips off Thursday, but they are not the betting favorite.
MAC Tournament Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| #2 Kent State | +160 |
| #1 Toledo | +170 |
| #3 Akron | +400 |
| #5 Ohio | +1100 |
| #4 Ball State | +1500 |
| #6 Buffalo | +2500 |
| #7 Northern Illinois | +8000 |
| #8 Miami (Ohio) | +13000 |
That honor belongs to no. 2 seed Kent State. The Golden Flashes have +160 odds to win the MAC Tournament and earn their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017. The Rockets are priced just a hair longer at +170, followed by no. 3 seed Akron at +400.
The odds drop off dramatically after that, which is a strong indicator of the talent discrepancy between the top-3 seeds and the bottom-five teams.
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Odds as of March 7, 2023, at DraftKings Sportsbook.
MAC Tournament Format
Only eight of the 12 MAC teams qualify for the conference tournament. The three day event begins with quarterfinal action, meaning no byes are granted.
The bracket will be reseeded following Thursday’s games, setting up the semifinals on Friday. The Championship Game tips off on Saturday, meaning you’ll have to win three games in three days to earn the automatic spot in the March Madness odds.
ESPN+ will provide streaming coverage on Day 1, before giving way to CBSSN for the semis and ESPN2 for the final. All seven games will take place at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, home of the Cavaliers.
MAC Tournament Betting Trends
Toledo may not be the favorite, but they probably should be. The Rockets enter the MAC Tournament riding a nation best 15-game winning streak, and are coached by Tod Kowalczyk, one of the best mid-major bench bosses. Sure, they’ve flamed out in consecutive conference tournaments, but this is arguably their best team yet.
Toledo went 16-2 in conference play. They were the best offensive team in the MAC by a wide margin, and led the league in not only points, but field goal percentage and three-point efficiency as well. Four different players score in double-figures, led by Rayj Dennis, one of the conference’s premier offensive players.
If there’s a case against them it starts at the defensive end, where they rank ninth in points allowed. Their offense was able to outscore nearly every team they faced in the MAC at least once, with the exception of Kent State.
Soon. 🏀 #MACtion pic.twitter.com/KaNr1r5VZy
— #MACtion (@MACSports) March 7, 2023
The Golden Flashes got the better of the Rockets 75-63 in their lone meeting and finished with a 15-3 conference mark. They grade out higher than Toledo per the NCAA Net Rankings and KenPom’s overall efficiency metric, and led the conference in most key defensive categories.
In addition to boasting the best scoring defense in the MAC, they also led the league in opponent field goal percentage, and were the top team defending threes.
Ultimately, their price is just too short given the gruelling three-day test that awaits. They should likely have odds longer than Toledo’s, given the Rockets form, but there’s another reason to look elsewhere.
MAC Tournament Predictions
That reason is Akron. The reigning MAC Champs ruined Toledo’s run last season, and look poised to play spoiler again this week.
The Zips finished with two more conference losses than Kent State, but beat the Golden Flashes this season and had a better overall point differential in their two matchups. They boast the conference’s top scorer in Xavier Castaneda, and the MAC’s top rebounder Enrique Freeman.
❌for the LEAD💯#1Akron 🦘 #GoZips
📺 ESPN+: https://t.co/wuagGnCwp1 pic.twitter.com/BRkNHeYOKf
— Akron Zips MBB (@ZipsMBB) March 1, 2023
The duo finished first and second respectively in the conference in win shares, while Castaneda led the MAC in three-point shooting. Having a dominant scorer and a beast on the boards is a recipe I want to invest in, and it also doesn’t hurt that they’re sound defensively.
Akron finished second in scoring defense and opponent field goal percentage in the MAC. They dominated their quarterfinal opponent Buffalo in both meetings this year, increasing the chances of third showdown with Kent State in the semis and a finals matchup against Toledo.
The Zips have the firepower to keep pace with the Rockets offensively, and a defense that is significantly stronger. At +400, they’re a strong value to go dancing again.
Pick: Akron Zips (+400)
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
