Central Michigan Chippewas vs Ball State Cardinals Prediction, 1/6/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Central Michigan Chippewas vs Ball State Cardinals

Date: Saturday, January 6, 2024

Location: Worthen Arena in Muncie, IN

TV: ESPN+

The Central Michigan Chippewas (5-8) are on their way to Worthen Arena on Saturday where they will attempt to beat the Ball State Cardinals (8-5).

The Central Michigan Chippewas played Buffalo and went home with a loss by a final score of 76-64 in their last game. When talking about personal fouls, the Chippewas ended up with 18 while Buffalo finished the game with 17 personal fouls. They made 6 out of their 20 tries from long range. Buffalo finished the contest at 90.9% at the free throw line by making 20 of their 22 shots. Additionally, Buffalo grabbed 39 rebounds (10 offensive, 29 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Buffalo distributed 11 assists and had 5 steals in the game. With regard to the defense, Central Michigan allowed their opponent to shoot 50.0% from the floor on 25 of 50 shooting. They also recorded 10 dimes in the matchup while forcing the opposition into 16 turnovers and getting 9 steals. In reference to rebounding, they earned 28 with 13 of them being on the offensive end. At the free throw line, the Chippewas made 13 of 18 shots for a percentage of 72.2%. Central Michigan ended the game having earned a 36.9% FG percentage (24 of 65) and buried 3 of their 23 shots from 3-point land.

Anthony Pritchard is a guy who was a major contributor for the contest. He finished with 19 points on 7 of 18 shooting. He saw the court for 38 mins played and also totaled 3 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 38.9% from the floor and also recorded 2 dimes.

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Central Michigan steps onto the court with a record of 5-8 on the season. They currently have an average of 65.3 points per game (341st in Division 1) while shooting 41.9% from the field. The Chippewas are hitting 29.8% on three-point attempts (76 of 255) and 64.6% from the charity stripe. As a team, Central Michigan is pulling in 32.5 rebounds per game and has accounted for 143 dimes this year, which ranks 332nd in the country in terms of passing. They are giving up possession 13.6 times per game and as a squad are committing 16.5 fouls every game.

On defense, the Chippewas are forcing 13.5 turnovers per game while drawing 15.0 fouls. They give up 34.0% from beyond the arc and they are ranked 297th in college basketball in PPG allowed (76.1). The Chippewas defensively are giving up a FG percentage of 46.7% (352 of 753) and they relinquish 36.8 boards per contest as a squad. They are ranked 315th in Division 1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 205 surrendered on the year.

The last time they took the court, the Ball State Cardinals took a defeat with a final score of 82-69 when they played Kent State. The Cardinals collected 18 defensive boards and 7 offensive rebounds totaling 25 for the contest. They gave up possession of the ball 11 times, while recording 6 steals in the game. Kent State was called for 16 fouls for this contest which got the Cardinals to the charity stripe for 16 attempts. They were able to bury 15 of them for a clip of 93.8%. Regarding shooting from downtown, Ball State made 6 out of 18 tries (33.3%). At the conclusion of this game, the Cardinals went 24 out of 60 from the floor which had them sitting at 40.0%. The Cardinals allowed Kent State to make 28 out of 53 attempts from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 52.8% for this contest. They finished 38.5% from three-point range by shooting 5 out of 13 and finished the contest at 21 of 24 from the charity stripe (87.5%). In the matter of rebounding, Ball State allowed Kent State to collect 31 overall (7 on the offensive glass).

Basheer Jihad pitched in for the Cardinals in the game. He earned 23 points in his 36 minutes on the court, but wasn't able to tally an assist. He converted 7 out of 19 in this contest for a rate of 36.8%, and accumulated 6 rebounds.

Ball State has a win-loss record of 8-5 for the campaign. The Cardinals have committed 14.2 fouls per game while shooting 74.4% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 11.8 times per game (308th in Division 1) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.3 times per contest. Ball State has totaled 969 points for the campaign (74.5 per contest) and they pull in 35.0 rebounds per game. On the offensive side of the court, the Cardinals are shooting 45.8% from the field, which is 137th in the country.

The Ball State defense gives up 33.6% on 3-pointers (83 of 247) and opponents are making 70.7% of their foul shots. They have given up 12.8 dimes and 31.2 boards per game, which is 187th and 34th in the country. The Cardinals on defense are ranked 122nd in college basketball in PPG surrendered with 68.8. They are able to force 12.5 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 45.6% from the floor (314th in Division 1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Ball State

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