Kent State vs Oregon Odds, Pick
| Kent State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | +230 |
| Oregon Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | -300 |
Below, we have Kent State vs Oregon odds and a pick for Thursday.
When Oregon hosts Kent State on Thursday night, the Ducks will need to be on their best game to avoid the upset. That's not the easiest thing to predict, as Oregon has now lost three of its last six games. The Ducks are struggling with an injured frontcourt and inexperience in the backcourt.
Kent State can take advantage of that. The Golden Flashes have won seven of their 10 games to start the season, but they are still seeking their first statement win. This is only their second true away game of the year; they beat South Dakota State, 82-73, in the first one. Rob Senderoff has built a team with a good offense, but the defense needs to get a little bit lucky to beat better teams.
Having just played its worst game of the season — a 20-point loss to Syracuse — Oregon will be low on confidence entering Thursday's game, which will test what Dana Altman and the Ducks are made of.
Let's dive deeper into the matchup to see which side is the best bet.
Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent State has an offense that is capable of beating any team. The Flashes returned many key pieces from last year's team that made the NCAA Tournament. Jalen Sullinger has been a star in the backcourt in his team's best performances this season.
Kent State makes shots from everywhere, ranking in the top 120 in the country in three-point percentage, two-point percentage and free throw percentage. Leading scorer Jalen Sullinger (15.6 points per game) is shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc. Where Kent State struggles some is with turnovers; the Flashes give the ball away on 19% of their offensive possessions.
Their defense is solid, but with one major flaw. Teams always shoot well from three against them. On the season, opponents are making 37.5% of their threes, which ranks 333rd nationally. Even worse, Kent State allows teams to take a ton of shots from behind the arc; 43% of their opponents' attempts come from outside.
If those numbers don't improve, it will be difficult to beat quality opponents.
Oregon Ducks
Oregon is exactly the type of team that can exploit Kent State's biggest weakness. The Ducks shoot 35.7% from three on the season, and they have capable shooters everywhere in their lineup. They don't shoot a lot of threes on a per-game basis, but that could change given Kent State's inability to guard the arc.
Oregon's defense has been the problem in all of three of its losses this season. The Ducks gave up 88 points to Santa Clara, 99 points to Alabama, and 83 points to Syracuse.
Kent State has the offense to keep up in this game. Oregon will need to win the three-point battle in a big way to earn a comfortable victory at home.
Kent State vs. Oregon
Betting Pick & Prediction
Kent State has won three straight games. Oregon shot just 4-of-27 from three in its loss to Syracuse last Sunday. If that continues into this game, look out for Kent State to make things really interesting late in the contest.
Pick: Kent State +6.5
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