The Golden Flashes will play the Redbirds on Wednesday, March 18th, 2026. Your timezone's tip off time is 8:00 pm EDT. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.
Review our College Basketball Betting guide to learn how to bet this game.
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Table of Contents
- Matchup Stats
- Moneyline Mage
- Best Odds
- Interactive Odds Example
- Prop Bets
- Team Standings
- Futures Odds
- Team Pages
- Other Games Today
Key Matchup Stats
The 2025-26 college basketball postseason has arrived. With tournament action on the docket, Kent State and Illinois State are set to tip-off on Wednesday, March 18th, 2026. Here's your chance to partake in March Madness! The end of the regular season has left us with solid trends for each team. Use the following performance insights and stats to handicap what promises to be an exciting matchup.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - Kent State wound up with a 98.00 SportsBetting3.com conference power ranking for the 2025-26 college basketball regular season, while Illinois State finished with a 98.00 power ranking.
- Away Records - Tournament games are typically played at neutral venues, which means both teams are away from their home courts. Kent State comes to this matchup with a 7-5 record as an away team, ranking them 4th in the MAC Conference for away team wins. Their opponent, Illinois State, finished the regular season with a 5-7 record as an away team, ranking them 4th in the Missouri Valley Conference for away team wins.
- Conference Win Percentage - Kent State finished 3rd (0.778) in the MAC Conference, with Illinois State ending up 3rd (0.600) for their conference win percentage in the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference.
- Overall Win Percentage - Kent State had a 0.727 regular season overall win percentage, with Illinois State notching a 0.625 overall win percentage at the end of the 2025-26 regular season.
- Team Records - Kent State tallied a 24-9 regular season overall record. Meanwhile, Illinois State put together a 20-12 standing for 2025-26 college basketball regular season.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.
Hocus pocus! Kent State faces Illinois State in March Madness showdown.
Kent State 24-9, Illinois State 20-12 overall for regular season. Kent State 14-4 MAC, Illinois State 12-8 Missouri Valley for conference.
The tables below have the best point spread lines, total lines, and moneylines for this matchup. Bet on March Madness games at BetRivers and BetMGM. Review this matchup's prop bets below.
Best Golden Flashes at Redbirds Odds
| Underdog Kent State | Favorite Illinois State |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog Kent State | Favorite Illinois State |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
Illinois State is a -4.5 -115 point spread favorite at BetMGM, while Kent State is a +4.5 -105 point spread underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 153.5 -115 points at BetMGM, which means you risk $115 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 153.5 -105 points at BetMGM, and that means you risk $105 to win $100 betting the under.
Illinois State is a -210 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and Kent State is a +170 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
College Basketball Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Kent State
Illinois State
3/18/26 8:00pm EDT | +4.5 -105-4.5 -115 |
Underdog Kent State - Kent State bettors risk $100 to win $95.24 at -105 odds.
A +4.5 Kent State underdog bet wins if they lose by 4 or fewer, tie, or win outright. Your bet loses if they lose by 5 or more.
Favorite Illinois State - Illinois State bettors risk $100 to win $86.96 at -115 odds.
A -4.5 Illinois State favorite bet wins if they win by 5 or more. Your bet loses if they win by 4 or fewer, tie, or lose outright.
Kent State at Illinois State Prop Bets
Important Note: Some states expressly forbid individual college athlete prop bets. The following wagers may not be available depending on your particular state laws.
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Kent State
Illinois State
First to 5 Points
3/18/26 8:00pm EDT | +100-140Bet |
Kent State
Illinois State
First to 10 Points
3/18/26 8:00pm EDT | +105-145Bet |
Kent State
Illinois State
First to 15 Points
3/18/26 8:00pm EDT | +115-160Bet |
Kent State
Illinois State
Game to Overtime
3/18/26 8:00pm EDT | Yes +800No -3000Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | W-L | Win% | Home | Away | Conf | CGB | Conf% | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAC | ||||||||
| Kent State | 24-10 | 0.706 | 14-3 | 7-6 | 14-4 | +4 | 0.778 | L2 |
| Missouri Valley | ||||||||
| Illinois State | 23-12 | 0.657 | 14-2 | 7-7 | 12-8 | +4 | 0.600 | W3 |
Kent State & Illinois State Futures Odds
Latest College Basketball Championship odds, if available, for each team. Review March Madness odds for other teams and learn how to bet on the college basketball tournament. Also be sure to read Ron Halfback's Final Four write-up.
Kent State Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Kent State YR: futures available
Illinois State Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Illinois State YR: futures available
Kent State & Illinois State Team Pages
Review each team's futures odds, betting bonuses, current standings and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:
How to Bet on the Game
Time needed: 4 minutes.
How to Bet on the Kent State vs Illinois State College Basketball Game
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Open a new sports betting account before game time.
Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 at 8:00 pm EDT, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.
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Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.
Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.
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Tap to the sportsbook's College Basketball page, look for the Kent State vs Illinois State Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's College Basketball page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Kent State vs Illinois State Game.
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Choose your bet and place a wager.
Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.
Other March 18, 2026 NCAABB Games
- Lehigh vs Prairie View A&M - 3/18/26 6:40pm EDT
- Navy vs Wake Forest - 3/18/26 7:00pm EDT
- George Washington vs Utah Valley - 3/18/26 8:00pm EDT
- Dayton vs Bradley - 3/18/26 9:00pm EDT
- Sam Houston State vs New Mexico - 3/18/26 9:00pm EDT
- SMU vs Miami (OH) - 3/18/26 9:15pm EDT
- Murray State vs Nevada - 3/18/26 10:00pm EDT
- UIC vs California - 3/18/26 11:00pm EDT
- Saint Joseph's vs Colorado State - 3/18/26 11:00pm EDT