Kent State and Loyola Chicago will face off on Wednesday night for a chance to advance to the Final Four of the NIT.
Both programs enter today with identical 24-11 records. The Ramblers got here by the skin of their teeth with a 1-point win over a talented San Francisco team. The Golden Flashes had a similar game, dispatching Stanford by two points, and I expect another tight one tonight.
Read on for my Kent State vs. Loyola Chicago predictions and college basketball picks for Wednesday, March 26.
Who will win Kent State vs Loyola Chicago?
While I feel more comfortable taking the spread, Kent State will win this game.
Its backcourt holds a pretty significant advantage over Loyola's, and as we know, that holds so much weight in these one-game scenarios. Kent State has the ability to cut off a significant portion of the Loyola offense that wants to drive and kick. I'll take the Golden Flashes to pull off the upset here and have Jalen Sullinger lead them to the Final Four of the NIT.
Kent State vs Loyola Chicago prediction
My best bet: Kent State +5 (-110 at bet365)
Since the market opened at +5.5, we've seen a slight buy on the Kent State Golden Flashes, and I'm inclined to agree with that movement.
Kent State was impressive in its win over Stanford, a win that most major analytical sites didn't project. They are undervalued once again here.
My projections made this spread roughly -2.5, but from a total origination standpoint, I think Kent State can win the game. Either way, multiple possessions in this game are too large of a spread. I expect it to be tight throughout, and I'm going with the Golden Flashes to grab a cover vs. the Loyola Chicago Ramblers as my best bet.
Loyola gets an edge many times by limiting shot volume (65th best defensive rebounding rate nationally), but Kent State can almost negate that (20th best offensive rebounding rate nationally). There are also some substantial advantages on offense for Kent State.
Loyola has struggled defensively in isolation situations this season, as best exemplified by allowing 1.09 points per possession on plays defined as dribble jumpers. Jalen Sullinger and Delrecco Gillespie are a talented tandem for Kent State, who are very good in isolation situations and well-equipped to attack these issues.
They combined for 44 points in the win against Stanford to get here, which was a team that mirrored those same issues. That makes the prep for this one similar and gives me confidence that it can be exploited again. This is a Kent State team with Power Four athletes and size, and the Ramblers don't necessarily have that. I expect the lack of individual defensive talent for the Ramblers to be the most significant mismatch in this game.
On the other hand, Loyola Chicago can score, but I'm not sure they can do it enough.
The precision cutting will get the Flashes a few times, and the Ramblers will undoubtedly get easy buckets. But away from that, I'm not sure there's an actual reliable offensive output for them here. The Rambler's secondary offense is primarily through attacks and kicks. Kent State has been in the Top 20% of college basketball defensively against this all season.
Kent State vs Loyola Chicago same-game parlay (SGP)
Kent State +5
Kent State first to reach 20 points
Jayden Dawson Over 2.5 assists
In my power ratings, I had a significant gap between these two coaches. In this instance, the better coach has the biggest mismatch on paper in the game, and my "Kent State first to reach 20 points" pick reflects that.
Let's finish things off with Jayden Dawson to exceed a low assist total.
Kent State is most exploitable via backdoor cuts. He's the primary facilitator of these actions, so buying into that narrative with this prop play makes sense.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Kent State vs Loyola Chicago odds
Kent State vs Loyola Chicago live odds
Kent State vs Loyola Chicago opening odds
- Spread: Kent State +5.5 | Loyola Chicago -5.5
- Moneyline: Kent State +200 | Loyola Chicago -245
- Over/Under: Over 142 | Under 142
Odds courtesy of bet365
Kent State vs Loyola Chicago betting trend to know
Kent State has hit the Moneyline in 11 of their last 14 games (+9.35 Units / 25% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for North Texas vs. Oklahoma State.
How to watch Kent State vs Loyola Chicago
| Location | Gentile Arena, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Wednesday, 3-26-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
Kent State vs Loyola Chicago key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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