The (11-4 SU, 8-5 ATS) Ball State Cardinals and (8-7 SU, 7-7 ATS) Ohio Bobcats are playing Tuesday at the Convocation Center. The Cardinals, 2-0 in conference play, have won seven straight. The Bobcats, 0-2 in MAC competition, lost 88-79 at Bowling Green in their last game.
Ohio won both meetings between these teams last season. The Bobcats are 51-35 all-time versus the Cardinals.
Tip-off from Athens, OH, is at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Bobcats are 2.5-point spread favorites, and the game total is 146.5 points. The Bobcats are 2.5-point favorites, and the game total is 145.5 points.
Ball State, picked to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll, is off to a hot start. The Cardinals have not lost since early December and have solidified their place among the MAC title contenders.
In the win over Akron, Ball State trailed by one at the half but rallied for a seven-point win. BSU shot 39.7 percent from the floor, 3-of-14 from three, and 21-of-28 from the foul line. The Cardinals outrebounded the Zips 37-33, with 17 offensive rebounds, and forced Akron into 17 turnovers. Sophomore center Payton Sparks led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds.
It's only the beginning…#ChirpChirp x #WeFly pic.twitter.com/jPK0QQfngz
— Ball State Men's Basketball (@BallStateMBB) January 7, 2023
Ball State scores 76.9 points per game and shoots 48.3 percent from the floor (31st-highest in D-1), including 38.2 percent from long range (35th-highest). Its schedule-adjusted offensive efficiency rating is ranked 80th, its assist-per-turnover ratio (0.96) is 179th, and its rebounding margin (four) is 95th.
The Cardinals are paced by sophomore guard Jaylin Sellers, who averages 14.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. BSU also counts on contributions from junior guard Jarron Coleman (14.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3.2 APG), Sparks (13.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG), and senior guard Demarius Jacobs (12.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG).
Ball State gives up 66.8 points on 41.8 percent shooting, including 35.1 percent from distance. The Cardinals are ranked 231st in schedule-adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.