Winthrop Eagles vs Indiana Hoosiers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/29/24

The Eagles and Hoosiers are set to face off at 4:00 ET on BTN. The Hoosiers will host the game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN. The over/under for this game is set at 163.5 points, and Indiana is favored by -15.5 against Winthrop in a non-conference matchup.

WINTHROP EAGLES VS INDIANA HOOSIERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Winthrop Eagles +15.5

This game will be played at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at 4:00 ET on Sunday, December 29th.

WHY BET THE WINTHROP EAGLES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-70 in favor of the Hoosiers.
• Even though we have Indiana winning straight-up, we like Winthrop at +15.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 163.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Can Winthrop Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?

Winthrop improved to 7-4 on the season after a 102-97 win over Mercer on Saturday. Playing at home, the Eagles were -8 favorites going into the game. Despite the win, they didn’t cover the spread.

Winthrop led 44-36 at halftime but allowed 61 points in the 2nd half while scoring 58. The total points for the game reached 199, well over the O/U line of 160.5.

Winthrop’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 102 points with a field goal percentage of 54.4% and an effective field goal percentage of 63.2%. They shot 58.8% from two-point range and 47.8% from beyond the arc, hitting 11 threes. At the free-throw line, they went 29/48, shooting 60.4%.

Ahmad Robinson led the way with 27 points and 7 assists, while Nick Johnson and Kasen Harrison each added 22 points, shooting 63.6% from the field. Tyler Johnson knocked down 5 threes at a 55.6% clip, finishing with 19 points, and Kelton Talford contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Winthrop’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 97 points while allowing the opposition to shoot 54% from the field. Inside the arc, they allowed 58% shooting, with the other team making 20 of 34 two-point attempts.

From three-point range, Winthrop’s opponents hit 11 of 23 shots, good for 47%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 48 times, where they converted 29 free throws. Winthrop allowed 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Will Indiana Make it Happen at Home?

Indiana improved to 9-3 on the season with a 74-65 win over Chattanooga on Saturday. The Hoosiers were -14.5 point favorites heading into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 139, which was under the O/U line of 153.5.

Indiana led 41-38 at halftime and clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, holding the Mocs to 27 points while scoring 33 of their own.

In their last game, the Hoosiers put up 74 points, shooting 50% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.2%. They excelled inside, hitting 63.2% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 25% of their threes (5/20). Their free-throw shooting also left room for improvement, as they made only 55% of their attempts (11/20).

Honor Huff led the way with 20 points, hitting 6 of 12 from three-point range. Mackenzie Mgbako contributed 14 points, shooting 71.4% overall and 75% from deep (3/4). Malik Reneau also added 14 points, shooting 58.3% from the field and grabbing 8 rebounds, while also dishing out 4 assists.

Even with Indiana allowing 65 points, their defense struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 50% from the field. The Hoosiers gave up 63% shooting on two-point attempts, with their opponent hitting 24 of 38 shots inside the arc.

Indiana did manage to limit the damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponent to just 25% shooting on threes, with only 5 made out of 20 attempts. The Hoosiers also sent their opponent to the line 20 times, where they hit 11 free throws for 55%.