The Toledo Rockets (16-9) travel to Central Michigan to take on the Chippewas (13-12) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and can be seen on ES3.
The Chippewas were beaten by Ball State 75-63 on Saturday. Rayshawn Simmons was the team’s high scorer with 22 points. The Rockets, meanwhile, are coming off a 93-49 win against Miami (OH) on Saturday. Zach Garber had a good game for Toledo, registering 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
The Chippewas may have trouble getting to the line in this one. They’re 285th in the nation in FTA rate (32.5), while Toledo is among the nation’s least foul-prone squads (yielding a FTA rate of just 26.9, 18th in the country).
The Chippewas come into this game 13-12 Straight Up (SU) and 7-10-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Central Michigan is excellent from the perimeter with 244 three-pointers made (9.0 per game), the 18th-most in the country. The Chippewas, sporting the 25th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.44), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. The Central Michigan defense has been shutting down opposing offenses over the past 10 games, only allowing an average of 66.8 points per game, well under their season average of 72.6.
On the other side, the Rockets have 16-9 SU and 13-9 ATS records. They sport the 38th-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 79.1 points per game. The Rockets convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 29th in the nation at .744. The Rockets are an unselfish team with an average of 17.0 assists per game, ranking 18th in Division I.
Central Michigan and Toledo will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Central Michigan came out on top, but the win was not enough to overtake Toledo in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last few meetings. However, with a 7-2-1 record, Central Michigan has the advantage ATS. Toledo has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups. Central Michigan has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Toledo, ATS Winner – Toledo
Notes
Central Michigan averages 76.1 points per game (ranked 94th). Toledo, on the other hand, allows 70.3 points per game (ranked 119th).
Toledo scores 74.4 points per away game (ranked 64th). Central Michigan ranks a poor 174th in points allowed at home, allowing 70.8 points.
Ranked 34th, the Central Michigan Chippewas have an offensive rating of 113.6. The Toledo Rockets rank 122nd with a defensive rating of just 100.8.
The Toledo Rockets average 70.0 possessions per game and 1.130 points per possession. The Central Michigan Chippewas earn fewer possessions with 67.0, but they score more points with 1.136.
The Central Michigan Chippewas average an effective field goal percentage of 53.0% this season. The Toledo Rockets have a losing record of 2-5 when opponents have an eFG% of 53.0% or greater.
Central Michigan attempts an average of 27.0 three pointers per game and Toledo attempts 22.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Central Michigan Chippewas have an 11-12 record while the Toledo Rockets have a 9-8 record.
Central Michigan ranks 25th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.44, while Toledo ranks 18th with an A/TO of 1.48.
The Central Michigan Chippewas make an average of 4.8 steals per game. The Toledo Rockets are 12-8 when they allow 4 or more steals.
