Youngstown St. vs. Cleveland St. Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Horizon League Semifinal

Iain MacMillan | Mar 10, 2025

Cleveland State is a small favorite to Youngstown State in the Horizon League Semifinal. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Cleveland State and Youngstown State will face off in the Horizon League semifinal tonight with the winner set to take on the winner of Oakland vs. Robert Morris in the conference championship.

The two teams split their regular season series. Cleveland State won on January 11 but then Youngstown State got its revenge on February 16. Both games were eight-point decisions in favor of the road team.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this conference tournament semifinal.

Youngstown State vs. Cleveland State Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook

Spread

• Youngstown State +2.5 (-110)
• Cleveland State -2.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Youngstown State +125
• Cleveland State -150

Total

• OVER 138.5 (-105)
• UNDER 138.5 (-115)

Youngstown State vs. Cleveland State How to Watch

• Date: Monday, March 10
• Game Time: 9:30 PM EST
• Venue: Corteva Coliseum
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN2/ESPN+
• Youngstown State Record: 20-12 (13-7 Conference)
• Cleveland State Record: 21-11 (14-6 Conference)

Youngstown State vs. Cleveland State Key Players to Watch

Youngstown State

Nico Galette: Nico Galette is averaging 12.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game and he was the hero of their quarterfinal game against Purdue Fort Wayne. He rocked up 22 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Youngstown State will be looking for him to have another big game tonight.

Cleveland State

Tevin Smith: The Vikings' leading scorer is Tevin Smith, who is averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He is their best all-around player on both sides of the court, and his ability to turn the ball over on defense can be a difference maker for them tonight.

Youngstown State vs. Cleveland State Prediction and Pick

Instead of betting on a side in this semifinal game, I'm looking at the total and going to bet the UNDER. Both teams rank inside the top 100 in college basketball in defensive efficiency, coming in at 75th and 86th in that stat.

Meanwhile, offensively, both teams struggle to record points on their possessions. For example, Youngstown State ranks 236th in Floor%, which measures a percentage of a team's possessions that result in at least one point being scored.

Defense will reign supreme tonight. Take the UNDER.

Pick: UNDER 138.5 (-110) via BetMGM

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