Central Michigan Chippewas vs Kent State Golden Flashes Prediction, 2/24/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Central Michigan Chippewas vs Kent State Golden Flashes

Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026

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

TV: ESPN+

The Kent State Golden Flashes (20-7) will try to defeat the Central Michigan Chippewas (9-18) at M.A.C. Center on Tuesday.

The Central Michigan Chippewas faced Western Michigan and walked away with a win by a score of 83-70 in their last contest. Central Michigan walked away from the contest having earned a 49.0% FG percentage (25 out of 51) and converted 4 out of their 16 3-point shots. From the free throw line, the Chippewas converted 29 of 38 attempts for a percentage of 76.3%. In the matter of grabbing boards, they collected 25 with 5 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 12 assists for the contest as well as creating 14 turnovers and earning 11 steals. In relation to defending, Central Michigan allowed the other team to shoot 40.0% from the field on 24 of 60 shooting. Western Michigan distributed 10 assists and had 5 steals in the matchup. Moreover, Western Michigan had 31 rebounds (10 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Western Michigan finished 76.0% from the free throw line by knocking down 19 of 25 attempts. They also made 3 of 14 shots from three-point range. In the matter of fouls, the Chippewas walked away with 21 and Western Michigan finished the game with 25 fouls.

Tamario Adley is a player who was a factor in this game. He scored 25 points on 7 of 10 shooting. He played for 29 minutes played and also totaled 6 rebounds. He shot 70.0% from the floor but had no assists when the game ended.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

Central Michigan comes into this one with a record of 9-18 on the campaign. They are averaging 73.6 pts per contest (249th in Division 1) while connecting on 46.5% from the field. The Chippewas are shooting 31.8% on shots beyond the perimeter (167 of 525) and 70.1% from the charity stripe. As a team, Central Michigan is collecting 33.1 rebounds per contest and has racked up 406 assists for the campaign, which has them ranked 137th in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. They are losing possession via turnover 12.5 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.0 fouls every game.

When they are on the defensive end, the Chippewas are able to force 12.4 turnovers per game and they draw 17.0 personal fouls. They are ranked 294th in college in allowing assists with 414 conceded on the year. The Chippewas are giving up a shooting percentage of 45.7% (719 of 1,572) and they concede 35.7 boards per contest as a unit. They concede 33.9% on three-point shots and they are 254th in college hoops in opponents PPG (76.6).

In their last game, the Kent State Golden Flashes went home victorious with a score of 78-71 when they played Bowling Green. The Golden Flashes recorded 29 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 38 for this contest. They also coughed up the ball 10 times, while getting 6 steals for the matchup. Bowling Green was called for 29 personal fouls for this contest which got the Golden Flashes to the charity stripe for 40 tries. They were able to convert 28 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 70.0%. When discussing shots from distance, Kent State made 10 out of 27 tries (37.0%). When the final whistle blew, the Golden Flashes ended up going 20 out of 53 from the field which gave them a percentage of 37.7%. The Golden Flashes allowed Bowling Green to bury 21 out of 53 tries from the floor which gave them a rate of 39.6% in the matchup. They finished 21.1% from three-point range by shooting 4 of 19 and ended up shooting 25 out of 36 from the free throw line (69.4%). Concerning rebounding, Kent State allowed Bowling Green to pull down 37 in total (10 on the offensive side).

Morgan Safford ended up being a factor for the Golden Flashes for this game. He earned 27 points in his 38 mins on the court, but finished this game without an assist. He buried 8 of 17 in this contest giving him a field goal percentage of 47.1%, and totaled 7 rebounds.

Kent State has a win-loss record of 20-7 on the season. On the offensive side of the court, the Golden Flashes are hitting on 45.5% from the field, which is ranked 172nd in D-1. Kent State has totaled 2,313 pts on the year (85.7 per game) and they average 40.4 boards per contest. They are dishing out assists 16.3 times per game (53rd in college) and they turn it over 13.8 times per contest. The Golden Flashes have committed 19.6 fouls per game and they connect on 74.1% from the free throw line.

The Kent State defense surrenders 33.8% on shots from beyond the arc (241 of 714) and their opponents are converting on 72.2% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 14.7 assists and 34.2 total boards per game, which ranks 280th and 174th in those categories. The Golden Flashes on the defensive end are ranked 323rd in the nation in PPG surrendered with 79.7. They are forcing 12.2 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 43.3% from the field (126th in D-1).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Kent State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.