The Ball State Cardinals will try to pay off for their supporters on Saturday when they play host to the Kent State Golden Flashes at Worthen Arena in NCAA basketball action.

The Cardinals are 7-6 so far on the season, and 5-5 ATS vs. the number. The Golden Flashes, meanwhile, are 9-6 and 5-5 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Ball State go 4-3 and the Golden Flashes go 4-5 on the totals.



View Kent State vs Ball State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Sportsbooks (including Sportsbook) had the Cardinals installed as 5-point underdogs in this particular matchup earlier in the day. Also, watch for the Sportsbook over-under value at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Cardinals at No. 284 and the Golden Flashes at No. 197 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 70-64 result in favor of the Golden Flashes.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Golden Flashes is ranked No. 197 in NCAA hoops at 34.8 per game. Contrast that with Ball State’s No. 184 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Ball State is the No. 268-ranked team in the country at 5.2 per game, while Kent State rates No. 143 at 6.4 per game.

Defensively, Kent State features the nation's No. 108-rated defense on the road, allowing 66.2 points per game. Ball State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 285 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Kent State was a 70-58 loser at home against Toledo. They failed to cover the 8-point spread as favorites. The Golden Flashes endured a 70-58 loss at the hands of the Rockets on Wednesday, despite a 20-point effort from Chris Evans at Memorial Athletic Center.

Last time out for Ball State, they were a 60-58 Sportsbook as they battled Eastern Michigan on the road. They covered in the match as a 4-point underdog. Ball State got 18 points from Jauwan Scaife en route to a 60-58 victory over Eastern Michigan on Wednesday at EMU Convocation Center.


Kent State Golden Flashes Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Buffalo are 7-3
After playing Toledo are 8-2
After a loss are 5-5

Ball State Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Akron are 3-7
After playing Eastern Michigan are 8-2
After a win are 5-5

A few Golden Flashes at Cardinals trends to consider:
Kent State is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Ball State is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
Ball State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Ball State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Kent State
Ball State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Kent State


Next up:
Kent State at Buffalo, Wednesday, January 16
Ball State at Akron, Wednesday, January 16