
Ohio vs Kent State Prediction 1/24/25 College Basketball Picks Today
Kent State (12-6) vs. Ohio (10-8)
January 24, 2025 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Ohio -1.5; Over/Under: 145.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Kent State Golden Flashes and the Ohio Bobcats meet Friday in college basketball action from Ohio University Convocation Center. Here’s an Ohio vs Kent State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Ohio vs Kent State pick.
Kent State Golden Flashes Betting Preview
The Golden Flashes opened the year on a great run through their first 10 games. That said, Kent State has been on a middling .500 run over their last eight outings. The Flashes posted an 8-2 record in those first 10, losing to Auburn and UC Irvine alongside wins over Louisiana, Miami OH-Hamilton, Niagara, Cleveland State, Towson, Kennesaw State, Portland, and Mercyhurst otherwise. Since then the Golden Flashes have gone 4-4 over their last eight outings. Those victories came versus Heidelberg, Northern Illinois, Buffalo, and Toledo. The losses were versus Alabama, Ball State, Western Michigan, and Miami-OH otherwise, leaving Kent State with a 12-6 overall record through their first 18 games of the season so far.
In the Toledo game on Tuesday, the Golden Flashes held a 44-30 edge by the second half. Kent State kept it going from there on a 39-34 advantage and rolled to the dominant win 83-64 in the end. Leading team scorer Cian Medley posted 22 points with seven rebounds and five turnovers. VonCameron Davis put up 19 points with two rebounds and two assists, while Marquis Barnett led the bench players with 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Ohio Bobcats Betting Preview
Over on the Ohio side, they had a pretty spotty run over their first 10 outings. The Bobcats have looked much better in the record book since mid-December, however. Ohio went just 4-6 in those first 10 games, losing to James Madison, Illinois State, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Texas State and Marshall. The wins otherwise were over UNC Asheville, Portland, Robert Morris, and Morehead State. A win streak ensued afterward versus Austin Peay, Muskingum, Central Michigan, Buffalo, Northern Illinois, and Ball State. Since then, however, the Bobcats have fallen to Akron and Eastern Michigan in consecutive outings. The result has been a 10-8 overall run through the first 18 games for Ohio.
Matched up against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, the Bobcats came into the second half holding a 50-35 deficit. Ohio fought back in the second with a 52-44 advantage but it wasn’t enough in an eventual loss 94-87. Jackson Paveletzke posted 28 points with six rebounds and three assists in the defeat. Vic Searls (five rebounds; two assists), AJ Brown (two assists; two steals), and Shereef Mitchell (two rebounds) each chipped in with 14 points along the way.
Why the Ohio Bobcats will win
- Ohio has won each of its last 15 games at Convocation Center (OH).
- Ohio has won the first half in each of its last seven games at Convocation Center (OH) against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Kent State Golden Flashes will win
- The road team has won each of Kent State’s last six games.
- The road team has won the first half in six of Kent State’s last seven games.
Ohio vs Kent State Prediction
I’m just going to stay with Kent State. This should be a pretty good matchup overall, however, if both teams play well. The Flashes rolled right past a decent Toledo team in their last win, shooting 56.6 percent with a 3-20 rebounding edge and a perfect 11-of-11 from the line. The 14 turnovers for 10 Rockets points were just about the only thing to complain about in that road victory. Kent State has posted 68 or more points in four of the last five games—a 3-2 run.
As for Ohio, they suffered from a slow start against a middling Eastern Michigan team in their last outing and were very permissive on defense. The Bobcats gave up a whopping 60.3 percent from the field and 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from outside along with a 33-24 rebounding deficit. Ohio shot pretty well from the field (53.2 percent) but missed seven of 22 free throws (68.2 percent) as well. the Bobcats are on a nice scoring run themselves with 70 or more points in 10 of the last 11 outings. I like this one to be a fairly high-scoring finish as well, with Kent State eventually powering it out in an entertaining matchup overall. Should be fun.