The Akron Zips secured their spot in the NCAA Tournament by winning the MAC Championship Game against Kent State. As the #13 seed in the East Region, they face #4 UCLA as 13.5-point underdogs.

Key Factors for Akron:

• Riding an 8-game winning streak with momentum
• Led by Ali Ali (14+ PPG) and Enrique Freeman (13.2 PPG)
• Showed competitiveness earlier this season in close loss to Ohio State
• Will need strong defensive effort and rebounding to stay competitive

UCLA's Outlook:

• Finally healthy after dealing with injuries/COVID issues throughout season
• Led by Johnny Juzang (16 PPG) and Tyger Campbell (8+ assists per game)
• Has significant size advantage over Akron
• Coming off Final Four run last season
• Starting to peak at right time

Betting Analysis: While UCLA should win the game, the 13.5-point spread looks too high. Akron has the defensive capability and offensive weapons to keep this competitive. Given their current form and momentum, take Akron to cover the spread while falling short of the upset.

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