Akron at Louisiana

Akron went 29-6 last season and won the MAC tournament, and John Groce, the coach who built that team, left in March for Charleston. Dustin Ford, Groce's associate head coach, makes his debut as the Zips' head coach tonight. He does it on the road in a season opener. Louisiana went 11-22 and 7-11 in the Sun Belt last season, Quannas White's first year in charge. Akron was picked first in the MAC a year ago and is picked third this fall, behind Miami and Toledo. Neither team has played a regular-season game, so last year's results are all anyone has on either side. Akron earned its 29 wins under a different head coach, and the program's own preseason ranking has already slipped. Louisiana has a full season of White's system behind it and plays its opener at home. A road favorite breaking in a new head coach in game one is priced as if the 2025-26 Zips were walking through the door, and I make that price too short for this team. Louisiana is the right side on the spread tonight.