Ohio Bobcats vs Central Michigan Chippewas Prediction, 1/4/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Ohio Bobcats vs Central Michigan Chippewas

Date: Saturday, January 4, 2025

Location: McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, MI

TV: ESPN+

The Ohio Bobcats (6-6) are on their way to McGuirk Arena on Saturday where they will take on the Central Michigan Chippewas (6-6).

The Ohio Bobcats stepped onto the hardwood against Muskingum and walked away with a win by a score of 103-52 in their last contest. Ohio finished the game with a 64.1% field goal percentage (41 of 64) and converted 15 of 27 3-point shots. From the free throw line, the Bobcats made 6 of 11 shots for a rate of 54.5%. When discussing grabbing boards, they compiled 39 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 26 assists for this contest in addition to forcing the other team into 13 turnovers and earning 8 steals. With regard to defending, Ohio allowed their opponent to shoot 31.9% from the floor on 22 of 69 shooting. Muskingum distributed 12 assists and had 7 steals for the matchup. Additionally, Muskingum snagged 22 boards (7 offensive, 15 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Muskingum shot 50.0% at the charity stripe by converting 1 of 2 tries. They also converted 7 out of their 26 shots from beyond the arc. Regarding personal fouls, the Bobcats walked away with 9 and Muskingum totaled 15 personal fouls.

AJ Clayton is one guy who had an impact in the matchup. He finished the game at 66.7% from the floor and also earned 1 assist. He played 22 mins and also snagged 6 rebounds. He totaled 13 points on 4 of 6 shooting.

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Ohio comes into this matchup with a mark of 6-6 so far this year. They are averaging 79.9 points per contest (89th in college hoops) while shooting 46.7% from the field. The Bobcats are shooting 36.2% on shots from 3-point land (112 of 309) and 76.3% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Ohio is pulling down 33.9 boards per game and has 182 dimes this season, which ranks 219th in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. They are turning it over 11.7 times per game and as a group they are committing 17.9 fouls on a nightly basis.

On defense, the Bobcats are forcing 14.2 turnovers every game and they draw 18.0 fouls. They give up 41.6% on shots from distance while they are 289th in college in opponents points per game (75.5). The Bobcats are giving up and opponent field goal percentage of 45.9% (320 of 697) and they relinquish 35.2 boards per contest as a squad. They rank 121st in college hoops in giving up assists with 161 relinquished on the season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Central Michigan Chippewas got the victory with a final of 85-39 when they played Cleary. The Chippewas recorded 33 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive boards for a total of 38 for the matchup. They also turned the ball over 14 times, while recording 15 steals in the game. Cleary earned 14 personal fouls for this game which got the Chippewas to the free throw line for a total of 18 attempts. They were able to knock down 11 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 61.1%. Pertaining to shooting from downtown, Central Michigan converted 2 of their 15 tries (13.3%). In all, the Chippewas went 36 out of 57 from the field which gave them a percentage of 63.2%. The Chippewas permitted Cleary to knock down 14 out of their 53 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 26.4% in the matchup. They shot 11.5% from beyond the arc by shooting 3 of 26 and finished the game at 8 of 13 at the free throw line (61.5%). Concerning rebounds, Central Michigan allowed Cleary to get 20 in total (5 offensive).

Ugnius Jarusevicius was important for the Chippewas in this game. He accumulated 15 points in his 18 minutes on the hardwood and earned 1 assist in the matchup. He buried 7 of 13 for the game for a field goal rate of 53.8%, and added 13 rebounds.

Central Michigan has a win-loss mark of 6-6 for the year. The Chippewas are responsible for committing 16.3 fouls per game and they hit 68.9% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 15.0 times per game (135th in the country) and they are giving up possession 14.4 times per game. Central Michigan has accounted for 899 points on the season (74.9 per game) and they pull down 37.5 rebounds per contest. As an offense, the Chippewas are shooting 46.2% from the field, which has them ranked 133rd in college.

The Chippewas on the defensive end are ranked 170th in D-1 in PPG given up with 70.8. They are forcing 13.3 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 41.3% from the field (97th in college hoops). The Central Michigan defense gives up 29.3% on shots from behind the 3-point line (93 of 317) and their opposition makes 70.7% of their shots from the free throw line. They allow 13.8 assists and 32.9 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 227th and 116th in college hoops.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Central Michigan

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