The Ball State Cardinals will be at University Arena in Read Fieldhouse to challenge the Western Michigan Broncos in a Mid-American matchup. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and will air on ES3.
The Broncos are hoping for a better outcome after their 62-53 loss to Akron on Friday. Thomas Wilder was the game’s high scorer, recording 26 points. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-73 loss against Ohio on Saturday. Francis Kiapway led the team in scoring with 21 points.
Wilder has been playing at a high level over the last five games for the Broncos. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.4 three-pointers.
Western Michigan is a three-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 136 points. The Broncos have gone 6-9 Straight Up (SU) and 5-5 Against The Spread (ATS).
On the other side, the Cardinals have records of 4-5 ATS and 10-5 SU. The Cardinals are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 63.9 points allowed per game. The Ball State defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .396 shooting from the field to its opponents.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference rivals played, Western Michigan won, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over Ball State in their most recent meetings. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – BallSt, ATS Winner – BallSt, O/U – Over
Notes
Western Michigan is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
Western Michigan is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home.
Western Michigan is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Ball State.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Western Michigan’s last 11 games when playing Ball State.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Western Michigan’s last 6 games when playing at home against Ball State.
Western Michigan averages 73.8 points per game, placing the team just 174th in the nation. Ball State ranks 28th in points allowed, giving up 63.9 points per game.
The Ball State Cardinals have a defensive rating of 95.6 (ranked 49th), while the Western Michigan Broncos have an offensive rating of 104.8 (ranked 192nd).
The Western Michigan Broncos average a field goal percentage of 44.0% this season. The Ball State Cardinals have a losing record of 1-2 when opponents have a FG% of 44.0% or greater.
The Western Michigan Broncos rank higher based on their field goal percentage (184th) than their effective field goal percentage (194th). The Ball State Cardinals rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (158th) than their field goal percentage (209th).
Western Michigan, the 69th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.2 rebounds per game. Ball State does worse, ranked 137th with 37.7.
Ball State ranks 244th in offensive rebounds, while Western Michigan ranks at 69th in defensive rebounds.
Ball State has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.7% this season. Western Michigan has a subpar 4-7 record when its TO% is 18.7% or higher.
