Miami RedHawks vs Kent State Golden Flashes Prediction, 1/18/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Miami RedHawks vs Kent State Golden Flashes

Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025

Location: M.A.C. Center in Kent, OH

TV: ESPN+

The Kent State Golden Flashes (11-5) welcome the Miami RedHawks (12-4) at M.A.C. Center on Saturday.

The Miami RedHawks played Northern Illinois and walked away with a win by a score of 84-69 in their last contest. Miami ended the contest having earned a 51.0% field goal percentage (26 of 51) and buried 10 of 22 shots from 3-point land. From the charity stripe, the RedHawks made 22 of their 26 tries for a rate of 84.6%. In regard to grabbing rebounds, they earned 32 with 10 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 12 assists for this contest as well as forcing the opposition into 15 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In regard to defending, Miami let their opponent shoot 39.0% from the field on 23 out of 59 shooting. Northern Illinois earned 11 assists and had 3 steals for the game. Furthermore, Northern Illinois pulled down 22 rebounds (9 offensive, 13 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Northern Illinois finished 70.6% at the charity stripe by making 12 of their 17 shots. They made 11 out of their 33 attempts from three-point range. With respect to fouls, the RedHawks left the arena with 21 while Northern Illinois totaled 23 fouls.

Brant Byers is a guy who was a major contributor in this contest. He accumulated 17 points on 5 of 7 shooting. He played for 18 minutes and also grabbed 4 boards. He ended up shooting 71.4% from the floor but had no assists when the game ended.

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Miami comes into this matchup with a mark of 12-4 on the year. They are losing possession via turnover 11.7 times per game and as a unit they commit 16.9 personal fouls per contest. As a team, Miami is grabbing 33.8 rebounds per game and is sitting with 262 assists on the campaign, which ranks 111th in the country in terms of passing the rock. The RedHawks are hitting 40.6% on three-point shots (178 of 438) and 73.2% from the free throw line. They have an average of 83.6 points per game (25th in the nation) while hitting 49.9% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the RedHawks are able to force 16.1 turnovers per contest while drawing 15.1 personal fouls. They are ranked 118th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 208 surrendered on the campaign. The RedHawks defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 45.8% (401 of 876) and they surrender 31.6 boards per game as a squad. They are surrendering 35.7% on 3-pointers and they are ranked 197th in the nation in PPG allowed (71.5).

In their last game, the Kent State Golden Flashes went home defeated by a final of 94-83 when they played Western Michigan. The Golden Flashes were able to snag 16 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive boards totaling 25 in the game. They gave up possession 12 times, while getting 5 steals in the game. Western Michigan had 17 fouls in this matchup which took the Golden Flashes to the charity stripe for a total of 17 attempts. They were able to make 14 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 82.4%. With regard to shooting from beyond the arc, Kent State knocked down 9 of their 28 tries (32.1%). When the final whistle was blown, the Golden Flashes shot 30 for 63 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 47.6%. The Golden Flashes allowed Western Michigan to convert 30 out of 58 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 51.7% in this matchup. They finished 30.8% from beyond the arc by shooting 4 out of 13 and finished the game at 30 of 41 at the free throw line (73.2%). When discussing rebounds, Kent State permitted Western Michigan to get 37 in total (14 on the offensive glass).

Jalen Sullinger ended up being important for the Golden Flashes for the contest. He earned 32 points in his 35 minutes on the hardwood, but wasn't able to earn an assist. He made 10 of 19 for the game for a field goal percentage of 52.6%, but wasn't able to grab a rebound.

Kent State has a mark of 11-5 for the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Golden Flashes are connecting on 41.0% from the field, which ranks them 340th in college. Kent State has accumulated 1,121 pts so far this season (70.1 per game) and they average 36.9 boards per game. Their rate of earning assists is at 12.8 times per contest (262nd in Division 1) and they turn it over 11.1 times per contest. The Golden Flashes are responsible for committing 18.3 personal fouls per contest and they connect on 74.5% from the free throw line.

The Golden Flashes defensively are ranked 28th in college in PPG allowed with 64.4. They are forcing 14.2 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 40.8% from the floor (61st in college hoops). The Kent State defense allows 30.9% on 3-point attempts (106 of 343) and opponents are converting on 71.4% of their foul shots. They have conceded 12.8 dimes and 33.5 total boards per game, ranking them 162nd and 135th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Miami

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