NCAA March Madness: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Miami Hurricanes betting preview, odds and predictions
In the 4 vs. 5 matchup in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament, the Indiana Hoosiers take on the Miami Hurricanes with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line. All tournament long, VSiN will be providing you with March Madness betting odds, in-depth team analysis and expert college basketball picks. Make us your one-stop shop for all of your betting needs.
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How to watch Indiana vs. Miami
When: Sunday, 8:40 p.m. ET
Where: Albany, New York
Watch: TNT
Odds for Indiana vs. Miami
Spread: Indiana -2
Total: 148
(Odds accurate as of Friday, March 17th at 11:50 p.m. ET)
Real-time betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook
Midwest Region No. 4 Seed Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana had some defensive concerns earlier in the season, but the team now looks solid on that end of the floor. That’s good enough when you have an offense as good as the Hoosiers, and it’s hard not to see some sleeper potential in Mike Woodson’s group. Trayce Jackson-Davis is one of the most well-rounded big men in all of college basketball, and freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino is a tremendous scorer. Those two alone make this a tough team to beat, but the Hoosiers also have some competent role players around them. A lot of people thought Kent State would give Indiana trouble in the first round, but the Hoosiers passed that test with flying colors.
Midwest Region No. 5 Seed Miami Hurricanes
With this Miami team, everything runs through the three guards, as Isaiah Wong, Jordan Miller and free agent acquisition Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack are all dangerous offensive players. All three are a big part of the reason Miami is one of the best offensive teams in the country, but can those guys lock in and defend? The Hurricanes’ effort on defense will determine how far they can go. But Miami deserves a lot of props for the way it defended in the first round. The Hurricanes were down by eight against the Drake Bulldogs with a little over five minutes left, and they gave up just one more point the rest of the game. Getting Norchad Omier back from an ankle injury was the momentum changer this team needed before the tournament.
Indiana vs. Miami matchup analysis
The Hoosiers don’t defend the three-point line particularly well, as they are just 124th in the nation in 3P% defense this year. That’s a little concerning entering a meeting with a Hurricanes team that shoots 36.7% from 3 and is 41st in the nation in 3P%. However, outside of finding a way to defend Miami’s deep group of guards, Indiana has to like this matchup.
The Hurricanes are miserable when it comes to guarding inside the three-point line this season, as they are 255th in the nation in 2P% defense. That could be a nightmare in this particular game, as Trayce Jackson-Davis is a monster around the basket. He played a ridiculous game against Kent State in the first round, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Don’t be surprised if he puts up monstrous numbers again here. And Jalen Hood-Schifino also happens to be a mid-range killer, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he had some success in this one, too.
This game will ultimately come down to how the Hoosiers shoot from deep. This team does have some guys that can knock down triples, with Miller Kopp being one of them. There will be good looks from deep to go around against this unorganized Miami defense, and Indiana will need some guys to take advantage of those opportunities.
It’s also worth pointing out that Jackson-Davis’ leadership can’t be taken for granted in a game like this. The forward is a force on both ends of the floor, and there isn’t a player on either team that wants to win as bad as him. That should rub off on his teammates throughout this one.
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