The third-seeded Ohio Bobcats (24-8) and the second-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes (22-9) tangle Friday for a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal. The contest at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland is slated to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Ohio vs. Kent State odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Ohio downed Ball State 77-67 in Thursday quarterfinal action. The Bobcats — who along with these Flashes make up the two best defensive fives in the MAC — held BSU to a 35.3% mark from the floor in snapping a three-game losing skid.
Kent State — which advanced via an 85-75 win over Miami (Ohio) Thursday — split a pair of regular-season games with OU. Each team claimed wins at home. KSU’s quarterfinal victory marked the team’s 13th in a row. The Flashes have scored 77.5 points per game over that stretch.
See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
Ohio vs. Kent State odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:07 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Ohio -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Kent State +102 (bet $100 to win $102)
- Against the spread (ATS): Ohio -1.5 (-107) | Kent State +1.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 134.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
[tipico]
Ohio vs. Kent State odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Ohio 72, Kent State 68
Money line
Ohio won this bracket a year ago. A team that launches a lot of 3s looked comfortable in this venue yesterday when it went 11-for-28 (39.3%) from downtown. The Bobcats also looked like a team that made the most of having five off days after the regular season.
OU was boat raced when these two met at KSU Feb. 18. Look for a strong Bobcat effort in this bracket battle.
TAKE OHIO (-125).
Against the spread
PASS.
Over/Under
The Over has prevailed five times across the last seven OU-KSU meetings. This get-together is ripe for some offensive progression and defensive regression to the mean on attempts from bonus distance. That makes for bonus points tacked onto the total.
BACK THE OVER 134.5 (-107).
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]