Don’t expect a high-scoring game when the Central Michigan Chippewas (16-13) travel to Ball State to play the Cardinals (19-10). The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 1 and will air on ES3.
The Cardinals won big over Eastern Michigan 115-79 on Saturday. Sean Sellers was the game’s high scorer with 26 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Chippewas are coming off a 76-74 win against Toledo on Saturday. John Simons stood out for Central Michigan, recording 19 points and nine rebounds.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as Ball State ranks 271st in the nation in possessions per game (67.3 possessions per game), while Central Michigan is 287th (66.9).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Cardinals won the first game 75-63. Bo Calhoun recorded a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
The Cardinals have gone 19-10 Straight Up (SU) and 11-12 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cardinals are a high-volume three-point shooting team with 8.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. Transitioning to the Ball State defense, teams have to fight for open shots against the Cardinals, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .404.
On the other side, the Chippewas have records of 10-11-2 ATS and 16-13 SU. The Chippewas are an excellent long-range shooting team with 288 three-point shots made (9.0 per game), ranking 15th in Division I. The Chippewas are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 24th in Division I at 1.46.
Following the Cardinals’ latest win over Central Michigan, their SU record is now 7-3 over Central Michigan in their most recent games. The Cardinals also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. Ball State held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Central Michigan never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – BallSt, ATS Winner – BallSt
Notes
The Central Michigan Chippewas average 76.4 points per game, ranking 88th in the nation. The Ball State Cardinals rank 40th in points allowed with 66.3.
In its last game, Ball State won by a margin of 36 points. Central Michigan is 5-2 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Ball State has a 4-0 record in blowouts.
The Central Michigan Chippewas rank 31st for their offensive rating of 114.3. The Ball State Cardinals have a defensive rating of 99.2 (ranked 65th).
The Ball State Cardinals average a field goal percentage of 45.2% this season. The Central Michigan Chippewas have a subpar record of 2-12 when opponents have a FG% of 45.2% or greater.
The Ball State Cardinals and the Central Michigan Chippewas both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Ball State is 120th and 49th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Central Michigan is 152nd and 55th in these categories.
Ball State ranks 68th in assists, registering 15.2 per game. Central Michigan performs worse at 154th with 13.7 assists per game.
Central Michigan ranks 253rd in offensive rebounds, while Ball State ranks at 82nd in defensive rebounds.
On average, Central Michigan forces a turnover rate of 15.9%. When Ball State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 14-8 record.
