Indiana-Miami predictions: Preview, picks, odds for second round March Madness matchup

The No. 4 Miami Hurricanes will face the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner earns a trip to the Sweet 16 in the Midwest Region.

Tip-off from MVP Arena in Albany, NY is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. ET while airing on TNT. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Indiana is favored by 1.5 points.

No. 4 Miami (26-7, 15-5 ACC)

First round result: Defeated Drake 63-56
KenPom rating: 38 Overall, 12 Offense, 112 Defense
NET ranking: 35, (5-5 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Isaiah Wong, 15.8 ppg
Key stat: 77.7% team free throw percentage (15th in nation)

Miami made an incredible comeback to beat No. 12 Drake in the first round. The turning point came in the last few minutes when the Hurricanes' full-court pressure created turnovers and threw the Drake offense out-of-sync. Guard Nijel Pack carried Miami with 21 points. Forward Norchad Omier had 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Leading-scorer Isiah Wong had only five points while shooting 1-10 from the field against Drake. Miami isn't going to win many games when its top player shoots that poorly. Expect the ACC Player of the Year to bounce back in this second round matchup.

No. 5 Indiana (23-11, 12-8 Big Ten)

First round result: Defeated Kent State 71-60
KenPom rating: 26 Overall, 25 Offense, 43 Defense
NET ranking: 30, (6-9 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Trayce Jackson-Davis, 20.9 ppg
Key stat: 60.9% of scoring comes from 2-pointers (4th highest in nation)

In the first round, Indiana had an eight halftime point lead over No. 13 Kent State. The Hoosiers then cruised to a relatively comfortable 11-point win. Trayce Jackson-Davis was sensational with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists for Indiana. Race Thompson came through with 20 points and nine rebounds.

If it weren't for big man Zach Edey from Purdue, then Jackson-Davis would be the Big Ten Player of the Year. This game could come down to which superstar has more of an impact. Jackson-Davis averages 20.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game – and he's showing no signs of slowing down in the tournament.

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

Point spread: Indiana -1.5
Point total: 145.5
Moneyline: Indiana -125, Miami +105

The Pick

Against The Spread Pick: Indiana -1.5

This should be a fun game that goes down to the wire. However, Indiana could have a slight advantage with a better overall defense. Both teams know how to score, but the Hoosiers rank 43rd in adjusted defensive efficiency compared to 112th for Miami. Look for Jackson-Davis to have another strong showing while carrying Indiana to the Sweet 16.

  
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