The No. 4 seed Indiana Hoosiers will look to reach the second round for the first time in seven years when they take on the No. 13 seed Kent State Golden Flashes in a 2023 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round game on Friday. The Hoosiers (22-11, 12-8 Big Ten), who reached the Sweet 16 in 2016, have not gone further in the tournament since they were national runners-up in 2002. The Golden Flashes (28-6, 15-3 MAC), who last competed in the tournament in 2017, have not gotten out of the first round since reaching the Elite Eight in 2002. Kent State and Indiana have met twice previously in the NCAA Tournament, with each team winning once.
The game from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York, will tip off at 9:55 p.m. ET. Kent State is averaging 76.6 points per game, while Indiana averages 75. The Hoosiers are 4-point favorites in the latest Kent State vs. Indiana odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 138.5. 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: 138.5 points
- Indiana vs. Kent State money line: Kent State +160, Indiana -180
- 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 Miller Kopp has reached double-figure scoring in 11 games. In 33 starts this season, Kopp is averaging 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He is connecting on 48.4% of his field goals, including a blistering 44.3% from 3-point range, and 85% from the free-throw line. His top-scoring game was 21 points in a 63-48 loss at Rutgers on Dec. 3.
Also helping lead the Hoosiers is senior forward Race Thompson, who is coming off a 10-point and four-rebound performance in a Big Ten semifinal loss to Penn State. In the March 5 regular-season finale against Michigan, Thompson scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 75-73 overtime win. He scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 96-72 win over Elon on Dec. 20. For the season, he is averaging 7.9 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal per game.
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 total, projecting 143 combined points. 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.
