The visiting Bulldogs hope to send their backers to the pay window on Saturday as they look to cover the spread at Worthen Arena against the Ball State Cardinals.

The Cardinals bring a 5-2 record (3-1 ATS) to this tilt against the 4-5 Bulldogs, who are 0-6 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have witnessed Ball State go 2-2 so far and the Bulldogs go 4-2.



View Butler vs Ball State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook NCAAB line for this matchup, Ball State sat as 3.5-point favorites.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Cardinals - Bulldogs odds would favor the Bulldogs if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Ball State is rated No. 140 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Butler is at No. 129. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 75-66 win for the Cardinals.



How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Ball State's No. 211-ranked scoring average of 66.7 PPG, against a Bulldogs defense rated No. 132 and allowing 64.6 PPG. The Cardinals FG% has averaged 42.6% to date this season, more than the Bulldogs shooters have managed so far (39.5% per game).

Defensively, Butler features the nation's No. 274-rated defense on the road, allowing 77.5 points per game. Ball State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 225 nationally in scoring at home.

Butler lost its last outing, a 73-61 result against Xavier on December 7. They failed to cover in that game as a 5-point underdog. Butler suffered a 73-61 loss against Xavier on Wednesday, getting 10 points from Roosevelt Jones in a losing effort at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Last time out for Ball State, they were a 76-55 Sportsbook as they battled SIU Edwardsville on the road. They covered in the match as a 14-point favorite. The battle between the Cardinals and Cougars didn’t turn out to be much of a battle at all as SIU Edwardsville was handed a 76-55 defeat on Tuesday at Vadalabene Center.


Butler Bulldogs Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Purdue are 2-1
After playing Xavier are 3-2
After a loss are 7-3

Ball State Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing IUPUI are 1-5
After playing SIU Edwardsville are 2-1
After a win are 6-4

A few Bulldogs at Cardinals trends to consider:
Butler is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ball State
Butler is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ball State
Butler is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Butler's last 6 games on the road
Ball State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Ball State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ball State's last 6 games when playing Butler
Ball State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Butler


Next up:
Butler home to Purdue, Saturday, December 17
Ball State at IUPUI, Monday, December 19