UConn vs Indiana Prediction & Picks: Will the Huskies Hammer the Hoosiers at MSG?

There are a lot of teams who appear to have the potential to make a run at March Madness glory this season. One of those teams is the team that cut down the nets in Houston this past April. And after three dominant wins over vastly inferior competition, the UConn Huskies will look to show their championship credentials against tougher foes, starting with this afternoon's Empire Classic semifinal against Indiana (1:00 pm ET, ESPN).

The Huskies lost Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson Jr., and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo from their title-winning team, but they have hit the ground running to open the new college basketball season.

Northern Arizona was dispatched by 43, Stonehill went down by 40, and Mississippi Valley State put in a comparatively respectable effort in a 34-point loss.

Bet on UConn vs Indiana and Much More at BetDSI

The Huskies should expect to get more of a challenge from the Hoosiers, who have started life post-Trayce Jackson-Davis well enough with wins over Florida Gulf Coast (69-63), Army (72-64), and Wright State (89-80).

Indiana is currently projected to be a #9 seed in the NCAA Tournament (as per ESPN's most recent March Madness Bracketology update), but a good performance in the Big Apple could improve that outlook.

Will the Hoosiers hold their own against the Huskies, or will the defending national champions continue their dominant start to the season? The winner of this matchup will face either #19 Texas or Louisville in tomorrow's championship contest (7:00 pm ET, ESPNU).

UConn vs Indiana Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• UConn -13 (-115)
• Indiana +13 (-105)

Over/Under

• Over 144.5 (-110)
• Under 144.5 (-110)

UConn vs Indiana Prediction and Picks

Prediction: UConn to win

Picks: UConn -12.5 (-115 at Bovada) & UConn/Indiana over 145.5 (-110 at Bovada)

The Huskies lost their two top scorers from last season in Sanogo (17.2 PPG) and Hawkins (16.2 PPG), as well as one of their leading distributors in Andre Jackson Jr. (4.7 APG).

But through their first three games of the new season, UConn has had no issues whatsoever with scoring. Perimeter shooting could be better, but their top five scorers are all averaging 14.5 PPG or better.

Even losing freshman phenom Stephon Castle to a knee injury didn't keep UConn from throttling Mississippi Valley State, as Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer led the way with seven three-pointers and 25 points in Tuesday's 87-53 win.

Thanks to center Kel'el Ware, an Oregon transfer, Indiana isn't missing TJD too much to this point.

Ware averaged 6.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 15.4 minutes per game as a freshman with the Ducks, but he has dived fully into a key role for the Hoosiers, averaging 18.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG in his first three games. Against Wright State, he had 22 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.

Ware will need to be at his best to help neutralize UConn's Donovan Clingan, who is averaging 15.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.7 BPG in just 18 minutes per game.

But even if he is able to hold his own in that battle of big men, UConn just has too many threats, and Indiana is not equipped to slow them all down or keep up offensively.

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice. Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on countless games, many online sportsbooks offer men's college basketball national championship odds, women's college basketball national championship odds, men's Wooden Award odds, women's Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don't have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men's Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women's Wooden Award Winner Odds