The Mid-American Conference Tournament champion and No. 13 seed Kent State Golden Flashes battle the No. 4 seed Indiana Hoosiers in a Midwest Region first-round matchup in the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket on Friday. The Golden Flashes (28-6, 15-3 MAC), who beat Toledo 93-78 on Saturday to win the MAC Tournament title, are making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, and first since 2017. The Hoosiers (22-11, 12-8 Big Ten), who tied for second in the Big Ten Conference standings, are making their 41st tournament appearance and second in a row. This will be the third meeting between the teams in the tournament. Kent State beat Indiana 77-73 in the first round in 2001, while the Hoosiers beat the Golden Flashes 81-69 in the Elite Eight in 2002. Indiana leads the all-time series 3-1.
Tipoff from MVP Arena in Albany, New York, is set for 9:55 p.m. ET. The Hoosiers are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Kent State vs. Indiana odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 140.5. Before making any Indiana vs. Kent State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and March Madness betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Kent State vs. Indiana and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Indiana vs. Kent State:
- Indiana vs. Kent State spread: Indiana -4.5
- Indiana vs. Kent State over/under: 140.5 points
- Indiana vs. Kent State money line: Kent State +158, Indiana -190
- KENT: The Golden Flashes are 4-0 against the spread in their last four neutral site games
- IND: The Hoosiers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six Friday games
- Indiana vs. Kent State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Indiana can cover
Senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis has been red hot for the Hoosiers. He has scored 20 or more points in each of the last four games and in 16 games on the year, including four games with 30 or more. He is coming off a 24-point and 10-rebound effort in a 77-73 Big Ten Conference Tournament semifinal loss to Penn State on Saturday. It was his 18th double-double on the season. In 30 starts, he is averaging 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.7 blocks.
Freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino also helps power Indiana. In 30 games, all starts, he is averaging 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 33.1 minutes of action. He has scored 30 or more points twice. He had 35 points and seven rebounds in a 79-71 win at Purdue on Feb. 25, and had 33 in an 84-83 loss to Northwestern on Jan. 8.
Why Kent State can cover
Senior guard Sincere Carry has been dominant of late, reaching double-figure scoring in each of the last eight games. He poured in 26 points, while dishing out four assists and grabbing three rebounds in a Saturday’s win over Toledo. He scored 35 points, dished out four assists and two rebounds in an 89-84 overtime win over Akron on March 3. For the season, Carry averages 17.6 points, 4.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
Also averaging double-digit scoring is senior guard Malique Jacobs. In 33 games, including 31 starts, he is averaging 13 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals in 32.7 minutes of action. Jacobs is coming off a dominant performance in the MAC title game against Toledo, scoring 18 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing out six assists and blocking three shots. It was his second double-double of the year.
How to make Kent State vs. Indiana picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the point total. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 70% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Kent State vs. Indiana? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 70% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Kent State vs. Indiana spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned nearly $1,300 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.
