Teams looking to get into the win column meet when the Indiana State Sycamores battle the Indiana Hoosiers in a non-conference matchup on Friday night. The Sycamores (0-1) opened their regular season with a 27-0 home setback against Eastern Illinois on Aug. 31. The Hoosiers (0-1), meanwhile, dropped a 23-3 decision to third-ranked Ohio State last Saturday. The Hoosiers trailed just 10-3 at the half.

Kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series 6-0, with the teams’ last meeting in 2014, a 28-10 win by Indiana. The Hoosiers are 33.5-point favorites in the latest Indiana State vs. Indiana odds, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 41.5. Before making any Indiana State vs. Indiana picks, be sure to see the college football predictions from SportsLine expert Micah Roberts. 

Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for more than 20 years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos’ book director. He’s on a 6-0 run on college football picks involving the Hoosiers, returning $600 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now, Roberts has set his sights on Indiana vs. Indiana State and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Roberts’ picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Indiana State vs. Indiana:

• Indiana vs. Indiana State spread: Indiana -33.5
• Indiana vs. Indiana State over/under: 41.5 points
• ISU: The Sycamores were just 2-9 overall in 2022 at the FCS level
• IND: The Hoosiers have hit the first-half under total in four of their last five home games
• Indiana vs. Indiana State picks: See picks at SportsLine 

Why Indiana can cover

The Hoosiers may be young at quarterback, but they have a pair of talented redshirt freshmen who will share the duties this week against Indiana State. Both Brendan Sorsby and Tayven Jackson each saw five drives in the loss to Ohio State. Jackson, who spent one season at Tennessee before transferring to Indiana, saw action in three games last year for the Volunteers, completing 3 of 4 passes for 37 yards. He also rushed four times for 10 yards and a score. Last week, Sorsby and Jackson combined to complete 9 of 20 passes for 82 yards.

Defensively, the Hoosiers held their own against the Buckeyes, and were led by senior linebacker Aaron Casey. He registered a team-high 11 tackles, including nine solo. Casey is in his fifth season at Indiana, and has registered 141 career tackles, including 84 solo, with two pass breakups. He also has 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He was among the team leaders in tackles in 2022, recording 85 stops, including 48 solo, with 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. See who to back at SportsLine. 

Why Indiana State can cover

Despite that, the Hoosiers are not a lock to cover the Indiana State vs. Indiana spread. That’s because the Sycamores have a solid defense, led by sophomore defensive back Maddix Blackwell. Blackwell led the team with 11 tackles, including five solo, with one interception he returned 35 yards. He is in his second season with the Sycamores. Last year, he finished with 43 tackles, including 26 solo, with one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.

It appears junior quarterback Gavin Screws will step in for starting quarterback Cade Chambers, who was a scratch for the season opener. Chambers is the reigning Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year. Screws completed 13 of 24 passes (54.2%) for 116 yards and two interceptions in the loss to Eastern Illinois. He is in his second year at Indiana State. In 2022, he was the team’s backup, completing 64 of 121 passes (52.9%) for 683 yards, one touchdown and six interceptions. See who to back at SportsLine. 

How to make Indiana State vs. Indiana picks

Roberts has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he’s leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Indiana vs. Indiana State, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Indiana State vs. Indiana picks, all from the expert who is 6-0 on his last six picks involving the Hoosiers, and find out.