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Kent State vs Indiana Basketball Prediction & Picks (March Madness 2023 First Round)
Written by: Eddie Griffin
Last Updated:
Read Time: 4 minutes
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After earning their highest March Madness seed since 2013, Indiana will attempt to advance to the second round tonight with a win over Kent State in a Midwest Regional matchup in Albany, New York (9:55 pm ET, TBS).
The contest between the fourth-seeded Hoosiers (22-11) and the #13 Golden Flashes (28-6) is a matchup many have pegged as a potential upset.
But will that possibility come to fruition at MVP Arena? Read on for our Kent State vs Indiana prediction and picks.
Looking for More March Madness Picks?
We will have March Madness predictions and picks for a number of games throughout the men’s and women’s tournaments, so keep an eye out for them.
And if you are interested in checking out picks for the games we don’t cover, there are a number of reputable sports handicapping services that we recommend.
One of those sources is Doc’s Sports, which has a great offer going right now.
Doc’s Sports offers a lot of free picks and content, but they also offer $60 worth of premium sports picks free for new premium signups.
Kent State vs Indiana Odds
Odds are via BetOnline as of Friday, March 17, 2023.
Spread
- Kent State +4.5 (-110)
- Indiana -4.5 (-110)
Over/Under
- Over 140.5 (-105)
- Under 140.5 (-115)
Moneyline
- Kent State +162
- Indiana -196
Is Indiana Being Underrated?
Given that Indiana was the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten title, started the season 7-0, and was ranked in the top 10 at one point, there’s a lot to look at as a disappointment.
The Hoosiers did finish tied with Northwestern for 2nd in the Big Ten standings, but they suffered eight conference losses and finished three games behind Purdue, who they beat twice.
Freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino emerged as the team’s second-best scorer as the season went on, but this is a team that is still very much largely dependent on Trayce Jackson-Davis to be at or near his best almost every time out in order to compete.
Percentage wise, they are one of the better teams in the country in shooting the three–37.0%, which is 43rd in Division I–but the caveat there is that they average only 15.3 three-point attempts and 5.7 three-point makes per game.
It’s no real surprise that they beat Purdue twice, but it’s also equally surprising that they ran into a lot of trouble against teams equipped to make a big game by Jackson-Davis irrelevant.
That said, for as limited as Indiana is, it is a bit odd to see such a small spread in this matchup. Is it off, or is it spot on?
This is the smallest spread of any of the #4 vs #13 matchups in this year’s tournament. Virginia was a 5.5-point favorite against Furman, a team I had pegged as one of my top March Madness sleepers.
I had that pegged correctly, at least as far as the first round goes, as the Paladins stunned the Cavaliers in the final seconds after trailing by 12 with under 11 minutes left.
But is Kent State likely to join Furman in the second round?
The Golden Flashes won 28 games. And they are one of the hottest teams in the field, having won six straight and 22 of 25. And though they lost all three games, they were impressive against Houston (five-point loss), Gonzaga (seven-point loss), and Charleston (two-point loss).
Based on what they did against Houston and Gonzaga, Kent State certainly has the goods to pull the upset. But it still feels a little off that Indiana is favored by such a small margin. Even San Diego State was favored by a larger margin over Charleston in their #5 vs #12 matchup yesterday.
Kent State vs Indiana Prediction and Picks
Prediction for Kent State vs Indiana: Indiana to win
Pick for Kent State vs Indiana: Indiana to cover (Best Value: -3.5 @ BetUS)
I don’t have high hopes for the Hoosiers when it comes to a deep March Madness run. But TJD will be able to have his way inside, and I think that will prove to be Kent State’s undoing in this matchup.
Where to Bet on Kent State vs Indiana
Here are four legal sports betting sites that we highly recommend and have reviewed, where you can bet on this year’s NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments, as well as the 2023 NIT.
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Other March Madness Content at Betting News
If you’d like to check out our other March Madness betting content, here’s a rundown of what we have put together to help you with your NCAA Tournament betting.
We’re also doing a lot of NIT coverage, so check out that content as well.
- Men’s March Madness Bracket
- March Madness Odds
- Women’s March Madness Bracket & Odds
- Final Four Odds
- March Madness Sleepers
- March Madness Betting Trends & Stats to Know for 2023
- Where to Find the Best March Madness Betting Picks
- Best March Madness Betting Sites
- Best March Madness Bracket Challenges
- Betting News Bracket Mania (Our FREE March Madness Bracket Challenge!)
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