Kent State Golden Flashes vs Loyola Ramblers Prediction, 3/26/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kent State Golden Flashes vs Loyola Ramblers

Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Location: Gentile Arena in Chicago, IL

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Kent State (+5)

The Loyola Ramblers (24-11) will take on the Kent State Golden Flashes (24-11) at Gentile Arena on Wednesday in the NIT Quarterfinals. Kent State opens this contest as 5-point dogs. The over/under is set at 141.

The Kent State Golden Flashes took the court against Stanford and earned the victory with a final of 77-75 in their last game. When it comes to fouls, the Golden Flashes ended up walking away with 16 while Stanford finished the game with 18 fouls. They knocked down 8 of 25 tries from beyond the arc. Stanford ended up going 76.5% at the free throw line by making 13 of 17 attempts. Moreover, Stanford pulled down 36 rebounds (9 offensive, 27 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Stanford totaled 11 dimes and had 2 steals for the matchup. With respect to the defense, Kent State allowed the other team to go 45.0% from the field on 27 of 60 shooting. They also dished out 11 dimes for this game while creating 9 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In the matter of rebounding, they collected a total of 40 with 14 of them being of the offensive variety. When they shot from the free throw line, the Golden Flashes buried 13 of 20 shots for a rate of 65.0%. Kent State finished the contest with a 41.2% FG percentage (28 out of 68) and knocked down 8 out of their 20 shots from 3-point land.

Jalen Sullinger is someone who was a factor in this matchup. He finished 50.0% from the field and recorded 5 assists. He was on the court for 38 minutes and also collected 8 rebounds. He walked away with 34 points on 11 of 22 shooting.

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Kent State heads into this contest with a record of 24-11 for the year. They average 73.9 pts per game (177th in college hoops) on 43.7% from the floor. The Golden Flashes are shooting 32.0% on shots from distance (255 of 797) and 74.2% from the free throw line. As a team, Kent State is grabbing 37.2 rebounds per contest and has racked up 440 assists so far this season, which is 184th in the nation in terms of passing. They lose possession via turnover 11.7 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.1 fouls per game.

When they are on defense, the Golden Flashes are able to force 12.8 turnovers per contest and they draw 16.7 fouls. They are giving up 31.5% on 3-point shots and they rank 63rd in D-1 in points per game from their opponents (68.2). The Golden Flashes defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 41.9% (799 of 1,909) and they surrender 32.1 boards per contest as a team. They are ranked 215th in college hoops in giving up assists with 443 relinquished so far this season.

The last time they took the court, the Loyola Ramblers got the win with a final of 77-76 when they played San Francisco. The Ramblers were able to corral 27 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive boards totaling 33 for the matchup. They also turned the ball over 4 times, while getting 4 steals for this game. San Francisco had 16 personal fouls for this game which took the Ramblers to the free throw line for 24 tries. They were able to make 22 of those for a rate of 91.7%. In relation to shooting from beyond the arc, Loyola made 7 out of their 28 attempts (25.0%). When the final whistle was blown, the Ramblers finished 24 for 60 from the floor which had them shooting 40.0%. The Ramblers allowed San Francisco to convert 24 out of 64 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 37.5% in this game. They finished 34.6% from behind the 3-point line by shooting 9 of 26 and ended up shooting 19 of 24 at the free throw line (79.2%). In regard to rebounding, Loyola allowed San Francisco to snag 38 in total (13 on the offensive side).

Jayden Dawson ended up being a major contributor for the Ramblers in the matchup. He earned 35 points in his 34 minutes on the hardwood and accumulated 1 assist for this game. He converted 14 of 27 in this contest for a rate of 51.9%, and totaled 4 rebounds.

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Loyola has a mark of 24-11 for the year. When it comes to executing on offense, the Ramblers are hitting on 45.7% from the floor, which ranks them 120th in the nation. Loyola has totaled 2,576 pts this season (73.6 per game) and they average 35.7 boards per game. They are assisting teammates 15.8 times per contest (49th in the country) and they are losing possession via turnover 12.0 times per game. The Ramblers are committing 17.9 personal fouls every game and they shoot 67.4% from the free throw line.

The Loyola defense gives up 33.1% from downtown (262 of 792) and opponents are knocking down 73.0% of their foul shots. They have conceded 11.9 dimes and 33.4 total rebounds per game, which is ranked 70th and 120th in those categories. The Ramblers on defense are ranked 81st in Division 1 in points allowed per contest with 68.9. They are forcing their opponents into 12.2 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 41.7% from the field (68th in D-1).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kent State (+5)

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