All eyes will be on star big man Trayce Jackson-Davis when the Indiana Hoosiers take on the Kent State Golden Flashes on Friday night. The center will be looking to cement his Indiana legacy with a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and bettors can benefit from one Trayce Jackson-Davis prop ranked as one of the best March Madness bets on Friday.
Best March Madness Bets: Fade Trayce Jackson-Davis?
OddsShopper has recently introduced OddsShopper Premium to help bettors get the best value on the board. The models have highlighted the under 21.5 points (-105 on PointsBet Sportsbook) rated as a high-value bet. The models give the under a 54% chance of hitting, making for an ROI of 5%. It is the highest ROI of any Kent State-Indiana bet on the board, but readers should be sure to check other top Mach madness bets. Bettors can use a free seven-day trial for OddsShopper Premium to get more action for the weekend’s NCAA Tournament action!
Jackson-Davis earned consensus All-American honors after another dominant season. He averaged 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.7 blocks per game, becoming the third-highest scorer in Indiana’s storied history in the process. But Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers are running into a Kent State team that poses a real threat.
The Golden Flashes ranked 19th in the NCAA in defensive efficiency, leading them to a 28-6 record (15-3 in the Mid-American Conference). But it was their scoring prowess that led them to a 93-78 win over Toledo in the Conference Championship last week, earning them a ticket to the “Big Dance.”
Kent State is led by senior guard Sincere Carry, who is tops on the team with 17.6 points per game and 4.9 assists. He comes into the NCAA Tournament off back-to-back 20-point performances in the MAC Tournament.
Before the matchup, Indiana head coach Mike Woodson admitted he is going to need the supporting cast around Jackson-Davis to step up in order to make a deep run.
“It’s very important. I think, as we continue this journey (Friday), and (Tamar) Bates and Miller Kopp and (Trey Galloway) and (Jordan) Geronimo, the guys that play, Malik (Reneau), they’ve all got to give us more,” Woodson said, per SI. “This tournament over the years has been driven by teams that have three and four scorers, two or three guys that can make the long ball consistently.”
Look for Kent State to double-team Trayce Jackson-Davis, trying to make Indiana’s shooters beat them in order to stay in the game. If the Golden Flashes are going to pull off the upset, they are going to have to frustrate and neutralize Indiana’s best player.
Best Indiana-Kent State March Madness Bet: Tracye Jackson-Davis Under 21.5 Points (-105 on PointsBet Sportsbook)
