Ohio vs Ball State Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History & Picks – Thursday, March 9, 2023

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The No. 5 seed Ohio Bobcats (18-13, 10-8 MAC) and the No. 4 seed Ball State Cardinals (20-11, 11-7 MAC) will try to advance in the MAC tournament on Thursday as they square off at 1:30 PM.

Thursday’s matchup between the Bobcats and the Cardinals features the Bobcats as close 1-point favorites. A 151.5-point over/under is set for the game.

Ohio vs. Ball State Odds

Point Spread for Ohio vs. Ball State

The spread for this matchup is set at 1 point, with bookmakers listing Ohio as the favorite.

Ohio vs. Ball State Moneyline

As for the moneyline, Ohio has -113 odds to pick up the win, while Ball State is listed at -107 to claim victory.

Over/Under

Finally, the total for the game is set at 151.5 points.

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Game Time and How to Watch

  • Game Day: Thursday, March 9, 2023
  • Game Time: 1:30 PM ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN+
  • Location: Cleveland, Ohio
  • Arena: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

Ohio vs. Ball State Betting Trends

Ohio is 18-12-0 against the spread this season. The Bobcats have been chosen as favorites in 19 games this year and have walked away with the win 14 times (73.7%) in those games. Ohio has gone over the point total in 62.1% of its opportunities this year (18 times in 29 games with a set point total).

Against the spread, Ball State is 15-14-0 this season. The Cardinals have won 30% of the games this season they were the moneyline underdog (3-7). Ball State’s games this year have gone over the point total 58.6% of the time (17 out of 29 games with a set point total).

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Ohio vs. Ball State Key Players to Watch

Ohio

Dwight Wilson paces the Bobcats with 15.9 points per contest and 9.1 rebounds, while also averaging 1.3 assists. Jaylin Hunter posts a team-leading 4.3 assists per game. He is also averaging 12.7 points and 3.6 rebounds, shooting 43.9% from the field and 39.3% from beyond the arc with 2.1 made 3-pointers per game. Miles Brown posts 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game, shooting 44.4% from the floor and 45% from beyond the arc with 1.7 made 3-pointers per game. AJ Clayton puts up 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per contest, shooting 43.9% from the field and 33.3% from downtown with 1.4 made 3-pointers per contest.

Ball State

Payton Sparks is the Cardinals’ top rebounder (8.7 per game), and he posts 13 points and 2 assists. The Cardinals get 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game from Demarius Jacobs. The Cardinals get 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game from Jaylin Sellers.

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What you need to know about the Ohio Bobcats

Ohio’s MAC games have gone over the point total 11 out of 18 times this season. With 78.6 points per game on offense, the Bobcats are 34th in the country. On defense, they surrender 72.9 points per contest, which ranks 265th in college basketball. Ohio is grabbing 34 boards per game (54th-ranked in college basketball). It is ceding 31.1 rebounds per contest (187th-ranked).

Ohio ranks 43rd in the country with 8.8 threes per game this year. Meanwhile, it ranks 35th with a 37.2% shooting percentage from beyond the arc. The Bobcats are allowing 7.8 treys per game (252nd-ranked in college basketball). They are allowing opponents to shoot 34.2% (209th-ranked) from downtown.

The Bobcats have a 7-3 record against the spread while finishing 7-3 overall in their past 10 games. Ohio has gone over the total in five of its past 10 games. Ohio’s offense has been improved over its last 10 games, racking up 80.2 points per contest compared to the 78.6 it has averaged this season. Ohio has been tougher on the defensive side of the ball as of late, giving up 72.8 points per game during its last 10 contests compared to the 72.9 points per game its opponents are averaging in the 2022-23 season.

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What you need to know about the Ball State Cardinals

Ball State is 9-9-0 ATS in conference games this year. On offense the Cardinals are the 63rd-ranked team in college basketball (76.6 points per game). On defense they are 203rd (71 points allowed per game). Ball State collects 32.8 rebounds per game and give up 29.5 boards, ranking 112th and 86th, respectively, in the nation.

Ball State is 173rd in college basketball in 3-pointers made (7.5 per game) and 35th in 3-point percentage (37.2%). The Cardinals are 195th in the nation in 3-pointers conceded (7.3 per game) and fifth-worst in 3-point percentage defensively (38%).

The Cardinals have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games, with a 5-5 record against the spread during that span. Ball State has gone over the total in seven of its past 10 games. Over its last 10 games, Ball State is posting 78.7 points per contest, 2.1 more than its season average (76.6). While the Cardinals are giving up 71 points per game in 2022-23, they have been worse over their last 10 games, allowing 74.7 points per contest.

Ohio vs. Ball State Prediction & Pick

Our prediction to win this matchup is Ohio, and we expect that Ohio will cover the spread (Ohio -1). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 151.5 points.

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How to bet Ohio vs. Ball State

You can bet on Ohio vs. Ball State at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.

And if you wanted to check out how much you could win on a $10 bet if you parlayed today’s Ohio vs. Ball State picks, don’t forget to check out our free parlay calculator.

Not sure what a parlay is? Or even how to bet on college basketball? Check out our complete guide to sports betting.

WRITTEN BY

Dan Weiner

Hailing from Atlanta and attending college at the University of Texas, Dan is passionate about sports, particularly college football and soccer. He's a diehard Atlanta pro sports and Texas Longhorns fan. He likes every sport and will watch anything and everything the weirder the better. He joined Betsperts after an 11 year career in television production at ESPN.

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