Friday, March 3, 2017

John E. Worthen Arena

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The Northern Illinois Huskies head to John E. Worthen Arena to take on the Ball State Cardinals on Friday, March 3, 2017. The opening line for this game has Ball State as 5 point favorites.

The Huskies come into this game with an overall record of 15-15 and a road record of 6-7. They are 12-15 against the spread and their over/under record is 16-11. The Cardinals have an overall record of 19-11 and a home record of 10-5. They have an over/under record of 20-6 and they are 12-13 against the spread.

Marin Maric comes into this contest averaging 14 points per game while playing 28.1 minutes per night so far this season for the Huskies. He pulls down 8.1 rebounds per game and dishes out 0.8 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 56% while his free throw percentage is currently at 68%. Aaric Armstead averages 9 points per game in 30.5 minutes per contest this season. He averages 1.7 assists per contest and 5.8 rebounds per game for Northern Illinois. His field goal percentage is 34% for the year while his free throw percentage is 69%.

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Tayler Persons averages 16.3 points per game while playing 29.5 minutes per contest this year for the Cardinals. He grabs 3.8 rebounds per game and has 4.9 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 49% and his free throw percentage currently is at 77%. Franko House averages 13.2 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 25.7 minutes per contest. He also averages 6.4 rebounds per contest and 2.4 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 54% and his free throw percentage is 77%.

Northern Illinois averages 72.0 points per contest this season which ranks them 218th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 1.9 and their shooting percentage is 44% as a team which has them ranked 215th. Behind the arc they shoot 31% which is good for 331st in the country. They average 37.7 rebounds per game and 10.9 assists per game which ranks them 82nd and 326th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 150th with 13.4 per game. The Huskies allow 70.1 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 121st in the nation. They also allow a 43% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc ranking them 149th and 137th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 34.9 rebounds a game which ranks 161st and they give up 13.8 assists per contest which puts them in 222nd place in the country. They force 15.2 turnovers per game which ranks them 313th in Division 1.

Ball State averages 79.1 points per game this year which ranks them 57th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 3.8 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them sitting in the 73rd spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 38% which is good for 62nd in the nation. They average 38.0 rebounds per game and 15.6 assists per contest which ranks them 63rd and 58th respectively. In the turnover department the Cardinals rank 29th with 15.0 per game. The Cardinals allow 75.3 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 255th in the country. They also allow a 42% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc ranking them 62nd and 214th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 35.6 rebounds a game which ranks 203rd and they give up 12.1 assists per contest which puts them in 84th place in the nation. The Cardinals force 12.9 turnovers per game which ranks them 151st in college basketball.

The Huskies are 237th in the nation in offensive rating at 101.5. They assist on 41.9% of their shots, which ranks 345th in the country. In terms of pace they average 69.2 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 216th among D-1 teams. They are 291st in effective field goal percentage with 48%. As a team they are 292nd in the country in true shooting percentage with 52% and they shoot 3 pointers on 27% of their shots. Northern Illinois turns the ball over an average of 16.3 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 10.2% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 51.9% places them 98th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 33%.

The Cardinals are 116th in the nation in offensive rating at 107.3. They assist on 56.4% of their shots, which ranks 92nd in the country. In terms of pace they average 72.6 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 54th among D-1 teams. They are 48th in effective field goal percentage with 54%. As a team they are 47th in the country in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3 pointers on 41% of their shots. Ball State turns the ball over an average of 18 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8.2% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 51.6% places them 112th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 29.8%.

Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Trends

The Northern Illinois Huskies are 12-15 against the spread

The Northern Illinois Huskies are 16-11 against the over/under

Ball State Cardinals Betting Trends

The Ball State Cardinals are 12-13 against the spread

The Ball State Cardinals are 20-6 against the over/under

Northern Illinois Huskies Injuries

11/08/16 C Andrew Zelis Knee out for season
02/17/17 G Marshawn Wilson Disciplinary has left team

Ball State Cardinals Injuries

02/20/17 G Jeremie Tyler Suspension out indefinitely

Josh's Pick: Take Northern Illinois +5

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