UMass vs Akron Prediction, Pick & Line for Tuesday CFB (Nov. 4)

• MACtion is back on Tuesday night with UMass battling Akron
• The Minutemen seek their first win of the season against the Zaps
• Read below for my UMass vs Akron prediction, pick, and the updated betting line

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The Massachusetts Minutemen (0-8, 0-4 in MAC play) and Akron Zips (3-6, 2-3 in MAC play) battle in a conference showdown on Tuesday night. InfoCision Stadium in Akron plays host to a 7 PM ET kickoff on Nov. 4. CBS Sports Network will handle the broadcast.

I have honed in on a UMass vs Akron prediction and a pick for Tuesday’s MACtion. I have also provided the betting lines for this MAC battle.

UMass vs Akron Prediction

• Akron 24, UMass 17

UMass’s return to the MAC has been a disaster. The Minutemen opened the season 0-4 out of conference, including a last-second loss to FCS Bryant. In conference play, the performance has not improved, as the Minutemen are 0-4 with three losses by 18 points or more. UMass ranks last in scoring and 129th in FBS in scoring defense.

UMass has struggled to throw the football this season. Their passers have combined for a 51.4% completion rate with three passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. In their last game, AJ Hairston went 21-for-51 for 176 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception in a loss to Central Michigan.

The rushing attack has been more fierce with two solid backs in Brandon Hood and Rocko Griffin. Hood leads the team with 69 carries and 297 yards. Both players have a pair of rushing touchdowns. Griffin averages a sturdy 5.3 yards per rush.

Jacquon Gibson is the stud of the pass-catching unit. Despite being held without a catch against Central Michigan, Gibson leads the team with 36 catches and 358 yards. Tight end Max Dowling has caught two of the three UMass touchdown passes.

Defensively, watch for pass rusher Marques White. White has 10 tackles for a loss on the season with 5.0 sacks. He also has a forced fumble and a pair of pass deflections.

Here is your @UMassFootball Player Profile of the week#UmassFootball #UmassTwitter #Flagship #MACtion

(DL) Marques White ( @marques_white1 )
– Grad transfer from McNeese, prev. Dartmouth
– Biggest DL impact early in the season
– Two sacks on the year, four tackles for losses pic.twitter.com/m5avqyOTyA

— Ezekiel Altman (@EzekielAltman) September 22, 2025

Akron needs one win in its last three games to match its total from last season. The Zips have a pair of conference wins, knocking off Central Michigan and Buffalo in October. They also have a 44-point win over FCS Duquesne.

Ben Finley has had plenty of ups and downs throwing the football this season. The former NC State and Cal quarterback has five games with multiple passing touchdowns, but he has also had an interception in each of the last five games.

Running back Jordan Gant has been a stud for the Zips. He is averaging 77.4 rushing yards per game, scoring a trio of touchdowns. He has four games with 90 or more yards, including each of the last two games. He has a 161-yard, three-touchdown game and a 204-yard (total) game on his ledger this season. Akron is 3-1 when Gant runs for 90 yards.

🏆 NATIONAL HONOR ALERT! 🏆

Congrats to Akron's Jordan Gant on being named the @DoakWalkerAward National Running Back of the Week! @ZipsFB | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/V1LxpHtkzh

— MACtion (@MACSports) October 7, 2025

Finley has done a good job of spreading the rock around the receiver room. Six different receivers and a running back have 100 receiving yards on the season. Four receivers have 200 yards, and the duo of Kyan Mason and Israel Polk are both over 360 yards. Mason leads the team in yards while Polk has an extra reception and an extra touchdown.

On defense, Malcolm DeWalt IV has been a playmaker. He has 26 solo tackles (second on the team), two tackles for a loss, two interceptions – including a pick-six – and seven total pass deflections.

UMass vs Akron Pick

• UMass +10.5 (-112, Underdog)

Correlated with my prediction, here is my justification for backing UMass against the spread:

• Akron has one double-digit win in its last 30 games against FBS opponents. In that span, Akron’s lone double-digit win was a 21-point win over eventual 0-12 Kent State last season.
• Both teams are in the bottom 15 in FBS in scoring. I have my doubts that Akron will put up enough points to win by 11 or more points on Tuesday night.
• I expect UMass’s pass rush to give the Minutemen a chance. Watch for the edge duo of Marques White and David Onuoha to make plays. White leads the team with 26 pressures, while Onuoha is second with 19 pressures. Akron’s offensive line has allowed 70 pressures on the season, just shy of eight per game.

UMass vs Akron Betting Market

The sportsbooks have Akron as hefty home favorites for MACtion. The total is set between 49.5 and 50 points. Over bettors can get over 49.5 at Underdog for -107 odds. Under bettors can get under 50 on BetRivers for -122 odds.

Akron bettors can get the Zips -9.5 on the spread at ESPN Bet (-115 odds) or -360 on the moneyline at FanDuel. UMass bettors can get the Minutemen at +10.5 on the spread at Underdog (-112 odds) or +320 on the moneyline at BetMGM.

Lines as of Nov. 3, 2025, at College Football betting apps. Check out the best sportsbook promos for Tuesday MACtion.

UMass vs Akron, Last Five Matchups

Akron has won three of five lifetime matchups against UMass. The MAC schools have not played since 2019. UMass is in its first season back in the MAC since a brief stint from 2012-2015.

In their most recent matchup, UMass won 37-29, its only win of the 2019 season. Future NFL star Isaiah Rodgers had a pick-six for the Minutemen. Quarterback Michael Curtis accounted for three touchdowns..

On the Akron side, Boogie Knight had a 100-yard day as a receiver. Four different Zips threw a pass, with Kato Nelson tossing two touchdowns.