The Indiana Hoosiers, out of the Big Ten, have been given a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They’ll face the MAC champions, Kent State, who has been given a No. 13 seed.
Indiana stumbled down the stretch of the season, going 4-4 in its last eight games. Meanwhile, Kent State ended its season winning six-straight games and going 10-1 in its last 11.
The Golden Flashes also had an interesting out of conference schedule. They lost to both Houston and Gonzaga, but lose those games by a combined 12 points. Giving both teams a run for their money.
Can Kent State get past Indiana in the opening rounds? The oddsmakers are giving them a better shot than you may think.
Kent State vs. Indiana odds, spread, and total
Kent State vs. Indiana prediction and pick
Kent State’s numbers against much weaker competition aren’t enticing enough for me to take a shot on them, and for that reason I’m going to back the Hoosiers to win and cover in this Round of 64 matchup.
Kent State ranks just 142nd in the country in effective field goal percentage, far below the Hoosiers who come in at 36th.
Indiana is also going to have a significant advantage in the rebounding department. The Hoosiers grab 51.1% of available boards, which ranks 105th in the country, while Kent State ranks 173rd, grabbing 50.2% of boards.
When you factor in the level of competition the two teams have faced, it’s clear to me that Indiana is the superior squad and I’m going to back it to advance to the Round of 32.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
