The Central Michigan Chippewas (17-13) and the Mid-American’s top-ranked offense welcome the Western Michigan Broncos (12-18) and the top-ranked defense in the conference. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 4 and can be seen on ES3.
The Chippewas were victorious over Ball State 65-57 on Tuesday. Chris Fowler was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points on 9-for-15 shooting. The Broncos, meanwhile, are coming off a 70-64 win against Toledo on Tuesday. Thomas Wilder led the team in scoring with 18 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Broncos won the first game 92-85. Wilder was a standout player in the game, producing 26 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and two three-pointers.
The Chippewas come into this game 17-13 Straight Up (SU) and 11-11-2 Against The Spread (ATS). The Chippewas are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Central Michigan, which ranks 17th at 1.48.
On the other side, the Broncos head into the game with records of 12-13 ATS and 12-18 SU.
With the Broncos’ last win against Central Michigan, their SU record against Central Michigan moves to 8-2 over their most recent meetings. Furthermore, with a 6-4 record, Western Michigan has the advantage ATS. Western Michigan held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, while Central Michigan was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – CentMi, ATS Winner – CentMi
Notes
Central Michigan averages 76.0 points per game (ranked 92nd). Western Michigan, on the other hand, allows 73.8 points per game (ranked 184th).
The Western Michigan Broncos average 69.2 possessions per game and 1.060 points per possession. The Central Michigan Chippewas earn fewer possessions with 66.8, but they score more points with 1.138.
The Central Michigan Chippewas average an effective field goal percentage of 52.7% this season. The Western Michigan Broncos have a losing record of 6-10 when opponents have an eFG% of 52.7% or greater.
On average, Central Michigan attempts 27.0 three pointers and Western Michigan attempts 18.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Central Michigan Chippewas have a 15-13 record while the Western Michigan Broncos are even at 5-5.
Western Michigan makes an average of 5.9 steals per game. Central Michigan has a solid 8-5 record when it allows at least 5 steals.
