CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (Interstat) — Two of the early season’s hottest mid-major teams will meet Monday when the Yale Bulldogs face the Akron Zips in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game at the Paradise Jam.

Yale (4-1) enters the contest fresh off a 74-63 victory over College of Charleston on Sunday. Nick Townsend led the Bulldogs with 32 points and four assists. Akron (5-1) is also coming off a dominant performance, having routed Evansville 97-59. Amani Lyles scored 17 points and Bowen Hardman added 19 in the win.

The Zips’ only loss this season came on the road against Purdue, 97-79. Their offense has been potent, scoring 96 points against Iona and 104 against Princeton. Yale’s lone blemish was an 86-77 home loss to Rhode Island. The Bulldogs have shown their own offensive firepower, posting 97 points in wins over Quinnipiac and Navy.

Despite Akron’s impressive record and high-scoring outputs, Interstat’s ELO system projects Yale as a slight favorite with a 55% probability to win. The game is a neutral-site tournament matchup, pitting the Ivy League’s Bulldogs against the Mid-American Conference’s Zips.

The winner will gain significant momentum in the Paradise Jam bracket. Yale’s next game is at Vermont on Nov. 30, while Akron will host Milwaukee on Nov. 29.