Tuesday, February 7, 2017

James A. Rhodes Arena

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The Ball State Cardinals travel to James A. Rhodes Arena to play the Akron Zips on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. The opening line for this game has Akron as 10 point favorites.

The Cardinals come into this game with an overall record of 15-8 and a road record of 4-4. They are 7-11 against the spread and their over/under record is 17-2. The Zips have an overall record of 19-4 and a home record of 11-0. They have an over/under record of 11-8 and they are 8-11 against the spread.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NCAA basketball games check out our handicapping tips.

Tayler Persons comes into this contest averaging 16.1 points per game while playing 28.9 minutes per night so far this season for the Cardinals. He pulls down 3.6 rebounds per game and dishes out 4.9 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 49% while his free throw percentage is currently at 74%. Franko House averages 13.3 points per game in 25.5 minutes per contest this season. He averages 2.1 assists per contest and 6.5 rebounds per game for Ball State. His field goal percentage is 54% for the year while his free throw percentage is 80%.

Isaiah Johnson averages 16.5 points per game while playing 28.3 minutes per contest this year for the Zips. He grabs 7.3 rebounds per game and has 3.1 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 64% and his free throw percentage currently is at 57%. Kwan Cheatham averages 11.9 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.3 minutes per contest. He also averages 7.9 rebounds per contest and 1.9 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 43% and his free throw percentage is 83%.

Ball State averages 78.9 points per contest this season which ranks them 49th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 3.2 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them ranked 63rd. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 94th in the country. They average 37.9 rebounds per game and 15.5 assists per game which ranks them 65th and 59th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 333rd with 15.5 per game. The Cardinals allow 75.7 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 246th in the nation. They also allow a 42% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 75th and 192nd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 35.2 rebounds a game which ranks 165th and they give up 12.5 assists per contest which puts them in 111th place in the country. They force 13.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 153rd in Division 1.

Akron averages 78.5 points per game this year which ranks them 53rd in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 6.3 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them sitting in the 43rd spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 38% which is good for 62nd in the nation. They average 35.3 rebounds per game and 14.5 assists per contest which ranks them 192nd and 96th respectively. In the turnover department the Zips rank 57th with 11.9 per game. The Zips allow 72.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 167th in the country. They also allow a 45% shooting percentage and a 38% average from behind the arc ranking them 231st and 298th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 32 rebounds a game which ranks 32nd and they give up 11.6 assists per contest which puts them in 54th place in the nation. The Zips force 11.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 311th in college basketball.

The Cardinals average 80.7 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 78 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of 2.3 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is -6.7 per contest. The Cardinals have an offensive rating of 107.7 and they assist on 57.7% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 73 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 54%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 57% and they shoot 3 pointers on 38% of their shots. Ball State turns the ball over an average of 18.2 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8.4% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 52.2% while their offensive rebound percentage is 31.6%. The Cardinals give up 78.4 points per game on the road this season and they have surrendered 84.7 points per contest in their last 3 games.

The Zips score 82 ppg at home and they have averaged 79 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of -3.7 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 13.5 points per game. The Zips have a rating on offense of 115.5 and 54.8% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 68.6 times per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage for the year is 57%. As an offensive unit they have a true shooting percentage of 60% and they attempt 3 pointers on 50% of their shots. Akron turns it over an average of 15.3 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 7.7% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 52.8% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 30.8%. The Zips give up 68.5 points per contest at home this year and they have given up 82.7 points per game in their past 3 contests.

Ball State Cardinals Betting Trends

The Ball State Cardinals are 7-11 against the spread

The Ball State Cardinals are 17-2 against the over/under

Akron Zips Betting Trends

The Akron Zips are 8-11 against the spread

The Akron Zips are 11-8 against the over/under

Ball State Cardinals Injuries

No key injuries to report

Akron Zips Injuries

No key injuries to report

Tony's Pick: Take Akron -10

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