Kent State vs Northern Illinois Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Thursday, March 9, 2023

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The No. 7 seed Northern Illinois Huskies (13-18, 9-9 MAC) square off in the MAC Tournament against the No. 2 seed Kent State Golden Flashes (25-6, 15-3 MAC) on Thursday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, tipping off at 4:00 PM.

The Golden Flashes square off with the Huskies in a game that Kent State is currently a double-digit favorite by 13.5 points. The matchup’s point total is 141.

Kent State vs. Northern Illinois Odds

Point Spread for Kent State vs. Northern Illinois

The spread for this matchup is set at 13.5 points, with bookmakers listing Kent State as the favorite.

Kent State vs. Northern Illinois Moneyline

As for the moneyline, Kent State has -1261 odds to pick up the win, while Northern Illinois is listed at +754 to claim victory.

Over/Under

Finally, the over/under for the game is set at 141 points.

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Game Time and How to Watch

  • Game Day: Thursday, March 9, 2023
  • Game Time: 4:00 PM ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN+
  • Location: Cleveland, Ohio
  • Arena: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

Kent State vs. Northern Illinois Betting Trends

Kent State is 18-11-1 against the spread this year. The Golden Flashes have been victorious in 22, or 88%, of the 25 contests they have been chosen as favorites in this season. Kent State has gone over the point total in 34.5% of its opportunities this year (10 times over 29 games with a set point total).

In Northern Illinois’ 29 games this year, it has 17 wins against the spread. The Huskies are 6-14 in games they were listed as the moneyline underdog (winning 30% of those games). Northern Illinois has eclipsed the over/under 58.6% of the time this year (17 of 29 games with a set point total).

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Kent State vs. Northern Illinois Key Players to Watch

Kent State

Malique Jacobs puts up 12.6 points, 5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Defensively, he puts up 2.7 steals (fourth in college basketball) and 0.7 blocked shots. Miryne Thomas is tops on his squad in rebounds per game (5.1), and also averages 10.1 points and 0.8 assists. At the other end, he puts up 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocked shots. Chris Payton puts up 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists per contest, shooting 75.5% from the field.

Northern Illinois

David Coit is the Huskies’ top scorer (15.7 points per game) and assist man (2.9), and contributes 2.9 rebounds. Kaleb Thornton tops the Huskies in assists (5.3 per game), and puts up 8.9 points and 2.8 rebounds. He also puts up 1.6 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. Zarigue Nutter gives the Huskies 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1 assists per contest. He also delivers 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Anthony Crump is the Huskies’ top rebounder (5.2 per game), and he averages 7.6 points and 1.3 assists.

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What you need to know about the Kent State Golden Flashes

Kent State has won eight games against the spread in conference action this season, while failing to cover or pushing 10 times. The Golden Flashes rank 78th in college basketball with 76 points per game so far this year. At the other end, they rank 47th with 65.4 points allowed per game. Kent State is averaging 32.1 boards per game (157th-ranked in college basketball) this season, while allowing 31 rebounds per contest (180th-ranked).

This year, Kent State is draining 7.8 treys per game (127th-ranked in college basketball) and is shooting 33.7% (209th-ranked) from beyond the arc. The Golden Flashes are ceding 7 three-pointers per game (155th-ranked in college basketball). They are allowing opponents to shoot 31.1% (40th-ranked) from beyond the arc.

The Golden Flashes are 5-5 against the spread and 8-2 overall in their past 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Kent State has gone over the total five times. Kent State has been putting up 77.8 points per game in its last 10 appearances, an average that’s a little higher than the 76 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 campaign. Kent State’s defense has been more porous as of late, as the team has allowed 68.7 points per game during its past 10 compared to the 65.4 points per game its opponents average on the season.

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What you need to know about the Northern Illinois Huskies

Northern Illinois and its opponents have combined to go over the point total 10 out of 18 times this year in MAC play. In 2022-23, the Huskies are 163rd in the country on offense (72.5 points scored per game) and 312th on defense (75 points conceded). On the boards, Northern Illinois is 272nd in the nation in rebounds (30.1 per game). It is 307th in rebounds allowed (33.2 per game).

In 2022-23, Northern Illinois is 181st in college basketball in 3-point makes (7.4 per game) and 151st in 3-point percentage (34.8%). In 2022-23, the Huskies are 177th in the country in 3-pointers allowed (7.2 per game) and 129th in defensive 3-point percentage (33.1%).

The Huskies have gone 5-5 over their past 10 games, with a 7-3 record against the spread during that span. Northern Illinois has hit the over in six of its last 10 games. Northern Illinois is putting up 77 points per contest over its previous 10 games, which is 4.5 more than its average for the season (72.5). The Huskies have performed better defensively in their previous 10 games, allowing 73.3 points per contest, 1.7 fewer points than their season average of 75 allowed.

Kent State vs. Northern Illinois Prediction & Pick

Our pick to win this contest is Kent State, and we predict that Northern Illinois will cover the spread (Kent State -13.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 141 points.

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How to bet Kent State vs. Northern Illinois

You can bet on Kent State vs. Northern Illinois at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.

And if you wanted to check out how much you could win on a $10 bet if you parlayed today’s Kent State vs. Northern Illinois picks, don’t forget to check out our free parlay calculator.

Not sure what a parlay is? Or even how to bet on college basketball? Check out our complete guide to sports betting.

WRITTEN BY

Matt Rooney

Matt comes from Chicago and has lived in the area his whole life. Graduated from and played football at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL while also serving as the director of student sports broadcasting. He writes for Betsperts as well as appears on several shows across the network.

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