Mid-American foes will clash when the Ball State Cardinals (15-8) play the Ohio Bobcats (14-8) at John E. Worthen Arena. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and will air on ES3.
The Cardinals come into this game on a high note after defeating Western Michigan 75-71 on Saturday. Jeremie Tyler was the team’s leading scorer with 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The Bobcats, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-69 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday. Jaaron Simmons claimed his fifth double-double of the season with 24 points and 12 assists.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Bobcats winning the first matchup 79-73. Antonio Campbell played a big role with 27 points and 13 rebounds.
The Cardinals are hoping to build on their records of 15-8 Straight Up (SU) and 7-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cardinals are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting a stellar .388 from beyond the arc. The Ball State defense has done poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 75.8 points per game, well above their season average of 65.9.
As for their opponent, the Bobcats head into the game with records of 11-7 ATS and 14-8 SU. The Bobcats convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 48th in the nation at .376.
Following the Bobcats’ latest win over Ball State, their SU record rises to 8-2 over Ball State in their most recent games. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Ohio held the edge in all three of these categories one time in the last five meetings. Ball State never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – BallSt, ATS Winner – BallSt
Notes
The Ohio Bobcats average 77.2 points per game, ranking 76th in the nation. The Ball State Cardinals rank 39th in points allowed with 65.9.
The Ohio Bobcats rank 79th for their offensive rating of 110.7. The Ball State Cardinals have a defensive rating of 98.7 (ranked 88th).
The Ball State Cardinals average a field goal percentage of 44.4% this season. The Ohio Bobcats have a subpar record of 1-6 when opponents have a FG% of 44.4% or greater.
The Ball State Cardinals and the Ohio Bobcats both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Ball State is 157th and 81st in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Ohio is 52nd and 37th in these categories.
Ball State ranks 84th in assists, registering 15.1 per game. Ohio performs worse at 180th with 13.4 assists per game.
The Ohio Bobcats make an average of 4.8 steals per game. When the Ball State Cardinals give up 4 or more steals, they are a solid 13-5.
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