Indiana vs Kent State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Tournament Game (Can Hoosiers Create Distance?)

Indiana vs Kent State Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
• No. 19 Indiana (22-11) vs. Kent State (28-6)
• Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
• Time: 9:55 PM ET
• Venue: MVP Arena -- Albany, New York
• Coverage: TBS

Friday, March 17's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament schedule features a first-round Midwest Region clash between the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 13 Kent State Golden Flashes.

Indiana came up short in its last outing; a 77-73 loss to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Meanwhile, Kent State took down Toledo 93-78 to win the MAC Championship, marking the Golden Flashes' sixth consecutive win in the process.

Can Indiana stop the Golden Flashes' winning ways? Or will Kent State send the Hoosiers packing early?

Indiana vs Kent State Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: IND: (-192) | KENT: (+158)
• Spread: IND: -4.5 (-110) | KENT: +4.5 (-110)
• Total: 140.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Indiana enters this contest as a clear favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 9:55 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 140.5 points with both sides available at -110 odds.

Indiana vs Kent State Betting Trends

• Indiana's record against the spread is 16-17-0.
• As 4.5-point favorites or more, the Hoosiers are 10-8 against the spread.
• This year, 19 of Indiana's 33 games have gone over the point total.
• Kent State has covered the spread 21 times in 31 games.
• The Golden Flashes have covered every time (2-0) as a 4.5-point underdog or greater this year.
• There have been 11 Kent State games (out of 31) that hit the over this year.

Indiana Rank	Indiana AVG		Kent State AVG	Kent State Rank
99th	75.0	Points Scored	76.6	59th
127th	68.5	Points Allowed	65.7	55th
99th	33.0	Rebounds	32.4	139th
255th	7.7	Off. Rebounds	9.3	105th
330th	5.7	3pt Made	7.9	116th
37th	15.4	Assists	12.4	232nd
110th	11.2	Turnovers	11.1	101st

Indiana vs Kent State Prediction & Pick

Although Indiana has left things to be desired lately, a matchup with Kent State is just what the doctor ordered. After all, the Hoosiers have been victorious in each of their last 13 games against MAC opponents. They also have a 79.2% winning percentage as the favorite this season, whereas the Golden Flashes have pulled off just one upset in their four times as the underdog.

Indiana also has the advantage in the paint, where it knows how to close out opposing possessions. The Hoosiers average 25.3 defensive rebounds per game (No. 31), which comes in handy against a team like the Golden Flashes, who shoot 43.4% from the floor and 32.1% from three-point range away from home.

Having not been past the opening round since 2016, back a hungry Indiana team to get the job done.

Final Score Prediction: Indiana: 74 | Kent State: 71

Indiana vs Kent State Best Bet

Although I see Indiana winning, Kent State is good enough to keep things close. Not only are the Golden Flashes 4-1 ATS in their last five games, but they've covered the spread in all four of their neutral site contests thus far. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers are 2-6 ATS in their last eight outings and 1-5 ATS in their previous six games as the favorite.

Indiana will advance, but Kent State will make it interesting at times.

Bet: Kent State +4.5 (-110)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.