Ohio vs Kent State Prediction 3/12/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

Andrew Jett

3 weeks ago

Mar 14, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Ohio Bobcats cheerleaders perform during the first half of the championship game of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

MATCHUP	Ohio Bobcats	Kent State Golden Flashes
Team Records	15-17	24-8
Where	Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
When	Thursday, March 12, 2026
Time	06:30 PM EDT
TV	ESPN+

The Ohio Bobcats and the Kent State Golden Flashes meet Thursday in MAC Tournament college basketball action from Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Here’s an Ohio vs Kent State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Ohio vs Kent State pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Ohio Bobcats Betting Preview

The Bobcats opened up the season on a 10-7 run but it’s been a pretty choppy season since then. Ohio lost four of the next five with a lone victory over Northern Illinois, then hit a 4-2 stretch with wins over Buffalo, Western Michigan, Ball State and Northern Illinois again. Losses to Toledo, UMass and Miami-OH gave the Bobcats a 15-16 record over the regular season.

In the Miami-OH matchup last Friday the Bobcats were trailing 54-48 at the end of the first half. To their credit, Ohio fought back and forced overtime with a 52-46 run. After the extra period however, the Bobcats ended up with a loss 110-108. Jackson Paveletzke led the team on 37 points with two rebounds and six assists in the defeat while Javan Simmons added 30 points and nine boards.

Kent State Golden Flashes Betting Preview

Over on the Kent State side, they managed to go 14-5 over their first 19 games this year. A 3-2 run followed with wins over Eastern Michigan, Ohio and Toledo alongside losses to Akron and Southern Miss. Since then it’s been wins over Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan in a 6-1 run for a 23-8 season.

In their latest outing versus Western Michigan the Flashes came back out onto the floor after the break with a 46-37 advantage. Kent State was outscored 41-40 the rest of the way but still powered out the victory on their home court 86-78. Leading the team in scoring was Jahari Williamson with 16 points, two rebounds and two assists. Quinn Woidke added 15 points and three rebounds.

Ohio Bobcats @ Kent State Golden Flashes Betting Trends: March 12, 2026

Why the Kent State Golden Flashes will win

Kent State has won seven of its last eight games against Conference opponents.
Ohio has lost six of its last seven night games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.

Why the Ohio Bobcats will win

Ohio has won nine of its last 10 Thursday games against the Mid-American Conference.

Total Points Facts

Each of the last 11 games between Ohio and Kent State have produced a total of 157 or fewer points.
Each of Ohio’s last seven night games at Rocket Arena have produced a total of 153 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

Kent State ranks 16th among Division 1 teams for pace this season (72.1).
Kent State ranks 18th among Division 1 teams for points per game this season (85.6).

Ohio vs Kent State Prediction

I may take a stab on Ohio here, I just wish the line were a little thicker. The Bobcats stood tall in their latest home loss versus a stellar Miami-OH team last week, but fell just short in overtime. In that one Ohio shot a nice 48.7 percent from the field with 80 percent (20-of-25) from the line and just six turnovers. The Bobcats were competitive in the paint but did get outmuscled on the boards 36-26. The 50.7 percent shooting allowed on defense didn’t help either. Still, it was an encouraging effort.

These teams last met up on January 27 in a 72-57 loss for the Bobcats. In that one Ohio shot a miserable 29.7 percent from the field and got out-rebounded 46-27. Kent State didn’t shoot a whole lot better though (37.7 percent) and had 19 turnovers. This rematch could play out a lot of different ways but if Ohio can muster a good effort (and get that shooting percentage up) I think they can be mildly competitive.