The Miami Hurricanes face the Indiana Hoosiers. Check out our March Madness odds series for our Miami Indiana prediction and picks. Find out how to see Miami Indiana.
The college basketball season has produced a number of unexpected plot developments, one of which is Miami winning the ACC regular season championship, earning the No. 1 seed for the ACC Tournament. Many felt Duke was poised for a big run in March Madness, in part because the Blue Devils won the ACC tournament and beat Miami in the semifinals. What many may have overlooked or underestimated about Duke’s trip was the impact of playing Miami on a night when Hurricanes big man Norchad Omier was injured. Omier is the glue that holds Miami together. The Hurricanes play a guard-dominant lineup, but they need a big man in the middle to clear shots and return the ball. It’s Omier. His injury may have affected the semifinals against Duke — and the entire ACC tournament — more than many first thought. Duke was bounced from the NCAA Tournament by a Tennessee team that had its big men healthy. The Vols battled Duke on the glass and used their size and length to great effect.
Omier was able to heal from the injury. He wasn’t 100 percent fit, but he was good enough. He scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in 36 minutes in Friday’s comeback win over Drake. Omier can play better than he did against Drake, but even when he’s not playing an elite game, he still puts up a double-double or something close to it. He is one to watch in this match.
Indiana handled Kent State with fewer problems than many college basketball experts probably expected. The key was Trayce Jackson-Davis, the supreme big man with excellent speed and agility who gives Indiana a chance to do something big in this tournament. Jackson-Davis dominated Kent State on Friday. He was easily the best player on the floor. He did what needed to be done when Indiana needed him to be big. Jackson-Davis is the hammer the Hoosiers will try to use against Miami. The fight between Jackson-Davis and Ormier will be well worth the price of admission.
Courtesy of FanDuelhere is Miami-Indiana March Madness odds.
March Madness Odds: Miami-Indiana Odds
Miami Hurricanes: +1.5 (-105)
Indiana Hoosiers: -1.5 (-115)
Over: 145.5 (-110)
Under: 145.5 (-110)
How to watch Miami vs. Indiana
Television: TNT
Stream: CBSSports.com, March Madness app, fuboTV
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET, 5:40 p.m. PT
*Watch Miami-Indiana LIVE with fuboTV (Click for Free Trial)*
Why Miami could cover the spread
The Miami Hurricanes did not play a good game against Drake on Friday. This might seem like a reason to pick Indiana over the Hurricanes, but it’s often a great result for a team to win despite playing poorly. In the next game, it won’t play badly, and that’s when the odds of winning go up, not down.
Isaiah Wong had an absolutely terrible game for Miami against Drake. He went 1 for 10 from the field. Miami still won. Wong won’t have a bad fight here. He will play extremely well, and if he plays well, Miami usually wins. It’s a scenario Indiana should worry about.
Why Indiana could cover the spread
Norchad Omier versus Trayce Jackson-Davis will be an elite big man matchup, but with Omier not 100 percent healthy and mobile — certainly good enough to play, but also slow enough to notice — TJD could get the upper hand in it. -against-a match. If Jackson-Davis wins this matchup, Indiana very likely wins the game.
Jackson-Davis is in a very good position to win the mano-a-mano confrontation with Omier. That’s the best reason to choose Indiana.
Final Miami-Indiana Prediction & Pick
Trayce Jackson-Davis will play Norchad Omier. Take Indiana.
Final Miami-Indiana Prediction & Pick: Indiana -1.5
