A spot in the next week’s Sweet 16 is up for grabs on Sunday when the #4 Indiana Hoosiers (23-11) go head-to-head against the #5 Miami Hurricanes (26-7). The winner earns a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, and will face either the Baylor Bears or Creighton Blue Jays.
The matchup tips off at 8:40 p.m. EST inside MVP Arena in Albany, New York. Indiana is a two-point favorite, and the over/under total is 145.5 points.
What to Know – #4 Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana opened the 2023 NCAA Tournament by defeating the Kent State Golden Flashes, 71-60. The storied basketball program aims to return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 2016 season. Indiana finished the regular season in a tie for second place in the Big Ten Conference.
Indiana’s offense was second in the conference scoring 74.9 points per game while shooting 48.9% of its shots from the field and 37.0% from the 3-point line. Defensively, the Hoosiers were eighth in the Big Ten, surrendering 68.2 ppg, 40.6% shooting from the floor, and 33.2% from three.
Trayce Jackson-Davis led Indiana with 24 points and 11 rebounds in Friday’s win. The senior forward did all his damage inside the arc, connecting on 10-of-17 attempts from the field.
Through 34 games, Indiana is 16-17-1 against the spread and 3-2 ATS in neutral contests. The Hoosiers own a 7-3 mark ATS over their last ten games played in March.
What to Know – #5 Miami Hurricanes
The Hurricanes were a popular upset pick in the opening round, but Miami held off to beat the 12-seeded Drake Bulldogs 63-56. Miami advanced to the Elite Eight last year for the first time in school history and can return to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons. The Hurricanes were the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season champions.
The Hurricanes topped the league offensively, averaging 78.9 ppg thanks to 48.1% shooting from the floor and 36.7% from beyond the arc. Miami’s defense was tenth in the ACC, allowing 71.6 ppg, 44.8% shooting from the field, and 33.4% from deep.
Trailing by five at the half, Miami turned up the heat in the second half to pull out the victory. Sophomore Nijel Pack paced the scoring with 21 points, and classmate Norchad Omier added 12 and 14 rebounds.
Miami enters the Round of 32 with an 18-14-1 record ATS and a 2-3 record in neutral location matchups. Over their last five contests, the Hurricanes are just 1-4 ATS.
The Pick is In
These two teams can light up the scoreboard, and neither defense is built to contain an offensive-oriented lineup. Sunday’s contest will come down to which team’s defense will bend but not break.
Indiana’s defense looked solid on Friday, and we see that carrying over into this one. The Hoosiers lean on their tough conference schedule to defeat the Hurricanes and move on to next week’s action.
The Pick: #4 Indiana Hoosiers -2
