Utah vs Indiana State Pick & Prediction: Why to Bet the Utes

At one point, the Indiana State Sycamores were the darlings of the mid-major level. But they fell just short of the Missouri Valley crown and missed their chance at participating in the Dig Dance.

On the other side, Utah had a chance at getting into the NCAA Tournament. Sadly for the Utes, they couldn't get out of their own way when they were on the road.

Utah showed flashes of brilliances this season, but as I mentioned above, the Utes were a liability away from Salt Lake City.

The strength of this Utah team is its sheer size. Being extremely long will play against anyone, but especially against any mid-major program.

Utah has won its first three NIT games by an average of 12.6 points, and its size had everything to do with it. Big man Branden Carlson is a 7-footer who's a matchup problem for any team. Carlson led the team in scoring with 17 points per game during the regular season.

Recently, guard Gabe Madsen has also shown his worth. Madsen has averaged just under 22 points per game in three NIT games, which is well above his season average. If Madsen is on, that gives Utah another offensive outlet outside of its massive length down low.

Although Indiana State didn't win its conference, many people thought the Sycamores should've earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They finished in the top 30 in the NET and were by far the highest rated team to not make the tournament.

It's no surprise to see this team make it this far in the NIT. Not only do mid-major teams play with a chip on their shoulder in March, the Sycamores are playing with something to prove.

Indiana State will get it done with offense. If you haven't seen the Sycamores play, you're missing out on a work of art. This team passes and moves the ball like a European soccer team. Its fluidity and ability to move without the basketball is second to none. The man behind all of that is coach Josh Schertz.

Guard Isaiah Swope and big man Robbie Avila are a duo that can go for 40+ on any given night. The offense will move extremely fast and those two will get touches on every possession.

What does Indiana State have going for it? The Sycamores have a massive chip on their shoulder, they have the ability to score 100 on anyone and they'll be playing essentially a home game since this duel is in Indiana.

What does Utah have going for it? The Utes have a massive size advantage and should do a great job slowing down Indiana State's pace.

As much as it makes sense for Indiana State to finish the storybook season on a great note, I can't back the Sycamores as favorites. This is going to be a close game and could surely come down to the final shot.

In that case, we'll take the points.

Pick: Utah +3.5