The Kent State Golden Flashes take on the Auburn Tigers in Auburn, AL. Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM on SEC Network+.
In this particular matchup, the Tigers are favored by 21 points on the spread with a moneyline of -4000. The total is also set at 146.5.
Here is my Kent State vs. Auburn predictions and college basketball picks for November 13, 2024.
Kent State vs. Auburn Prediction
My Pick: Auburn -21
My Kent State vs Auburn best bet is on the Tigers to cover the spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Kent State vs Auburn Odds
| Kent State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+23 -110 | 148 -110o / -110u | +1400 |
| Auburn Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-23 -110 | 148 -110o / -110u | -3000 |
- Kent State vs. Auburn spread: Auburn -23
- Kent State vs. Auburn over/under: 148
- Kent State vs. Auburn moneyline: Kent State +1400, Auburn -3000
- Kent State vs. Auburn best bet: Auburn -21
Kent State vs. Auburn College Basketball Betting Preview
It's been nothing short of a dominant year for the Tigers so far, beating the America East favorites Vermont, 94-43, and No. 4 Houston, 74-69 on a neutral court.
The Tigers sit in sole possession of first in KenPom's rankings. That's a fairly impressive feat, and it shows they have staying power in the top five of the AP Poll. This isn't a mirage. Auburn is legitimately one of the best teams in college basketball.
So, what makes Auburn legit?
Defense is the name of the game for Auburn, just like it is for Houston, who regularly feasts upon mid-major opponents in the non-con. Auburn sits at 4th in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric. It limit opponents to a 37% effective field goal percentage (11th nationally) and 36% from two-point range (10th nationally).
The mixture of lengthy wings (Chad Baker-Mazara, Chaney Johnson) and a tandem of stout defensive bids (Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell) leads to a terrific interior defense.
Auburn's offense isn't too shabby, either. In fact, the Tigers offense is ranked second in KenPom's offensive efficiency, so Auburn is elite on both ends of the floor.
Broome is the constant, averaging 16 ppg, and he has a real shot to contend for national player of the year. But he was Auburn's best player last year, too. Auburn added a pair of guards who can shoot and stretch out defenses.
In Auburn's win over the Catamounts, 6-7 wing Miles Kelly stepped in and drilled seven triples after generating a ton of off-season buzz. He struggled against Houston, but freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford introduced himself to the college hoops world with 21 points against the Coogs.
Bruce Pearl didn't have a guard like that on the roster last year. It makes Auburn much more dangerous and less likely to lose in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament this year.
Kent State Basketball
Kent State is one of the older teams in college hoops, ranking 42nd in D-1 experience according to KenPom. Four of the Golden Flashes starters are seniors, and seven of their main rotation players are seniors. Three of the players (Von'Cameron Davis, Cli'Ron Hornbeak, and Jalen Sullinger) were on Kent State's 2023 NCAA Tournament team.
So, Auburn must come prepared to face an experienced program with plenty of talent.
I'd expect an experienced coach like Rob Senderhoff to know what it takes to compete in a game against arguably the best team in America. That's where Sullinger, the team's best pure shot creator, and the team's best shooter, Morgan Safford, come into play.
Sullinger has taken on a bigger role in playmaking than scoring this year. He's the sixth man for Kent State behind Cian Medley, but Sullinger leads the team with 4.5 assists.
My concern with Kent State in this spot: They simply don't have the size to defend 6-10 Broome and 6-11 Cardwell. The Golden Flashes two interior starters are 6-9 Hornbeak and 6-5 Davis. The thing about Davis is he's bordering on 230 pounds and incredibly strong, but Broome is both strong and tall.
I have no idea how Kent State can stop the two bigs, and it also doesn't have enough depth once Hornbeak and Davis get into foul trouble. That feels like a nightmare scenario.
Kent State vs Auburn Betting Analysis
Teams with immense athleticism, size and defense — like Houston, Auburn and Iowa State are built to feast on smaller mid-majors. It happens every year, even against good mid-major teams.
I think we'll see a scenario where Auburn overwhelms Kent State and ultimately blows them out.
