The Central Michigan Chippewas will travel to Marriott Center to take on the BYU Cougars. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 18.
The Cougars are hoping to rebound after their 92-83 loss to Colorado in their last matchup. Nick Emery was the team’s leading scorer with 23 points. The Chippewas, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-71 win against Texas Southern in their last game. Chris Fowler had a good game for Central Michigan, registering 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
This one isn’t expected to be close when BYU, a substantial 11-point favorite, takes on Central Michigan. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 159 points for this matchup. The Cougars come into this game 6-3 Straight Up (SU) and 3-2-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The rebounding edge goes to the Cougars in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 44.7 boards per game. BYU’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Cougars allow a .385 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country.
In the other locker room, the Chippewas have started the season poorly ATS with a 0-4 record to go along with a 5-4 SU record. The Chippewas rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 38th in the nation with 92 made (10.0 per game). Taking care of the basketball is something the Chippewas do very well, averaging just 11.2 turnovers per game.
This game will be the first meeting for BYU and Central Michigan in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – BYU, ATS Winner – BYU, O/U – Over
Notes
BYU is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games.
BYU averages 80.9 points per game (ranked 55th). Central Michigan, on the other hand, allows 72.4 points per game (ranked 204th).
The Central Michigan Chippewas rank 84th for their offensive rating of 111.4. The BYU Cougars have a defensive rating of 93.4 (ranked 49th).
Central Michigan has an average field goal percentage of 43.2%. BYU is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The BYU Cougars rank higher based on their field goal percentage (98th) than their effective field goal percentage (110th). The Central Michigan Chippewas rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (105th) than their field goal percentage (203rd).
BYU ranks 63rd in assists, registering 16.0 per game. Central Michigan performs worse at 212th with 13.0 assists per game.
The BYU Cougars are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 44.7 per game (ranked seventh). The Central Michigan Chippewas are outside the top 100 with 37.0 rebounds per game (ranked 189th).
Central Michigan ranks 184th in offensive rebounds, while BYU ranks at third in defensive rebounds.
On average, BYU forces a turnover rate of 17.6%. When Central Michigan turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 2-1 record.
