The visiting Ball State Cardinals hope to send their backers to the pay window on Wednesday as they look to cover the spread at James A. Rhodes Arena against the Akron Zips.

Supporters of the Cardinals have watched them go 7-7 and 5-6 ATS on the year, while the Zips are at 11-4 and 7-3 ATS. In totals betting, the Zips are 3-5, while the Cardinals have a 4-4 mark.



View Ball State vs Akron Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
If you were backing the visitors in this one, the Cardinals were listed as 19.5-point underdogs earlier in the day at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Zips at No. 42 and the Cardinals at No. 262 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 81-63 result in favor of the Zips.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Akron's No. 37 nationally ranked offense (76.5 points per game) against a Cardinals defense that sits as the No. 168 at 65.8 PPG. The Zips have been averaging 47.1% from the field, more than the Cardinals have managed so far this season (40.9% on average).

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Ball State owns the country's No. 230-rated mark, allowing 73 points per game on the highway. Akron, on the other hand, rates No. 35 in scoring at home.

Ball State lost its last outing, a 61-47 result against Kent State on January 12. They failed to cover in that game as a 3.5-point underdog. Majok Majok scored 13 points in a futile effort to lead the Cardinals to a win (they lost 61-47 to Kent State at Worthen Arena on Saturday).

Akron was a 68-53 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against Northern Illinois. They covered the 12-point spread as favorites. The Zips grabbed a 68-53 win over the Huskies on Saturday, behind a 20-point effort from Reggie McAdams at NIU Convocation Center.


Ball State Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Central Michigan are 6-4
After playing Kent State are 5-5
After a loss are 4-6

Akron Zips Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
Before playing Kent State are 6-4
After playing Northern Illinois are 9-1
After a win are 8-2

A few Cardinals at Zips trends to consider:
Ball State is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Ball State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Akron
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Ball State
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ball State


Next up:
Ball State at Central Michigan, Saturday, January 19
Akron at Kent State, Saturday, January 19