Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Western Michigan Broncos February 14 Betting Preview

The Kent State Golden Flashes will seek their 21st victory of the season on Valentine's Day when they take on the Western Michigan Broncos. The Flashes have won two consecutive games following their road loss to Akron and are currently tied atop the Mid-American Conference standings with Toledo. Rob Senderhoff’s club will enter the game as road favorites of -11.

Western Michigan Broncos Team Overview

According to the metrics, this Western Michigan Broncos group is one of the worst in the nation, and there isn’t much to suggest otherwise. Dwayne Stephens’ club is just 6-19 on the season and 2-10 in the Mid-American Conference, where they are tied for last. They have lost eight consecutive contests and haven’t won on their home court since January 14th against Bowling Green. 

Western Michigan is also not a very good team against the spread on the season. The Broncos are the worst team in the league ATS at 7-14-1 this season and are underperforming the number by -2.8 points per game. Their margin of victory is third worst in the MAC at -3.7 points per game during the campaign. 

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At home, Coach Stephens’ club is just 2-4-1 against the spread and are underperforming the number by -4.8 points per contest though their margin of victory number is positive at +6.4 per game. They do have a 5-5 record on their home court this season, but that does include three victories over non-division one schools. 

Kent State Golden Flashes Team Overview

Kent State continues to be one of the best mid-major teams in the nation at 20-5 on the season. The Golden Flashes have won thirteen of their last fifteen games as they move closer towards an NCAA Tournament berth. They have relied heavily upon their defense this season where they rank 33rd in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency.

The offensive side of the ball has been a concern for Coach Senderhoff this season as his team ranks just 155th in adjusted offensive efficiency. Their team effective field goal percentage ranks just 213th in the nation, and their three-point shooting ranks 256th. 

They are led by a bonafide mid-major star in point guard Sincere Carry, who is averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 assists, and over three rebounds per game. Unfortunately, Carry is not a picture of efficiency either, as he is shooting just 40 percent from the floor and 27.5 percent from behind the arc. He is effective from two-point range, however, as he has a nice ability to get into the lane. Over his last nine contests he is shooting over 52 percent from within the arc and averaging over 18 points per contest.

The Expectation

Western Michigan was able to keep this game close when the two teams met in early January, falling by just eight points. Carry struggled in that game and fouled out in just 29 minutes. Expect Carry to contribute more in line with his regular season numbers as he plays just about the same on the road as he does at home. The Golden Flashes should improve on their earlier performance against WMU.