On Tuesday night in Dayton, the #12 Indiana Hoosiers (18-12, 16-14 ATS, 14-16 O/U) face fellow #12 seed Wyoming Cowboys (24-7, 16-12-2 ATS, 14-15 O/U) in the NCAA Tournament First Four round. Indiana finished with a 20-13 overall record and a 9-11 record in the Big Ten play. The Cowboys went 25-8 overall and 13-5 in the Mountain West Conference this season. In the first round, the winner will face Saint Mary’s.
Indiana Hoosiers Betting Preview: Strong Conference Tourney Gives Hoosiers Confidence
The Indiana Hoosiers have enough quality wins to earn a spot in the First Four. Indiana finished the regular season with two losses, to Rutgers and Purdue, but responded with a good conference tournament, defeating Michigan and Illinois in the quarterfinals before losing to Iowa in the semifinals. Indiana has defeated some strong BIG Ten foes this season like Notre Dame, Purdue, and Ohio State. Overall, the Indiana Hoosiers have been reliable as they have covered the spread in four of their last five games.
Trayce Jackson-Davis will be crucial to Indiana’s success in this matchup. The sophomore guard is one of the best in the Big Ten, and he was on fire in the conference tournament, scoring at least 21 points in each of his three games, including posting 31 in a shootout against Iowa. Jackson-Davis averages 18.1 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game, and Xavier Johnson, noted for his playmaking abilities and scoring ability, is averaging 12.4 points. In a semifinal defeat to Iowa, the junior guard scored 20 points and scored nine assists.
Ken Pomeroy’s college basketball rankings have Indiana placed 36th in DI. This season, they went 3-1 on neutral courts, including a win over Notre Dame, who also qualified for the tournament. Indiana ranks 164th in the US with an average of 71.4 points per game. They rank 69th in DI by limiting opponents to 65.5 points.
Wyoming Cowboys Betting Preview: Cowboys Draw Indiana, Look for First At-Large Bid Since 2002
Since 2015, the Wyoming Cowboys have qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Late in the season, Wyoming wasn’t quite as dangerous, winning only three of their last seven games. In the semifinal of the MWC Tournament, they were defeated by the conference winner Boise State, 68-61. Be that as it may, the Cowboys defeated Boise State during the regular season. Wyoming has struggled ATS recently, only covering the spread once in their last five games.
Graham Ike is a powerful big man for Wyoming as he has been dominant underneath the basket. In the second half of the season, the sophomore forward had multiple double-doubles and averaged 19.6 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game. Hunter Maldonado is another fantastic athlete for the Cowboys; with his vision, the senior guard generates a lot of offense, averaging 18.4 points per game and an astounding 6.3 assists per game. Drake Jeffries is a fantastic three-point shooter as well, shooting 42 percent from outside the arc and averaging 10.5 points per game.
In Ken Pomeroy’s college basketball rankings, the Cowboys are ranked 58th overall. This season, they had a 3-2 record on a neutral court, including a 66-63 loss to Stanford. Wyoming is ranked 115th in the country, averaging 73.8 points per game. They allow an average of 65.7 points per game, ranking them 75th in DI.
Betting Odds and Lines
MyBookie has the Indiana Hoosiers as the -4 point home favorite, while the total number of points is at 131.5 in the latest odds.
Free Betting Pick
In the rough Big Ten, the Indiana Hoosiers picked up a plethora of significant victories, taking down number three seed Purdue in the first round of the Big Ten tourney and followed that up with a victory over the number four seed Illinois in the quarterfinals last Friday, winning 65-63. This year’s Big Ten was strong once again, and the experience will come in handy in this matchup. Wyoming was a pleasant surprise in the MWC as they were picked to finish eighth in the preseason conference poll. They slowed down in the second half of the season, winning only three of their final seven games.
Furthermore, the Indiana Hoosiers are a top-notch defensive unit as they have allowed only 92.6 points per 100 possessions, which ranks them 21st in Division I, whereas Wyoming allows 97.1 points per 100 possessions. Trayce Jackson-Davis, the star forward for the Indiana Hoosiers, scored over 20 points in each of his team’s three Big Ten tournament games, and the talented front will lead his team to a decisive victory. I think Indiana takes this one easily.
BetUSASports Free Pick: Indiana -4
