Ball State Cardinals vs Bellarmine Knights Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Ball State vs Bellarmine NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Louisville.

Ball State vs Bellarmine Prediction

The Cardinals and Knights are set to face off at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The Knights will host the game at Knights Hall in Louisville, KY. Ball State is the -1.5 point favorites in this non-conference matchup against Bellarmine. The over/under for the game is set at 144.5 points.

Ball State vs. Bellarmine Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Ball State Cardinals at Bellarmine Knights
Where: Louisville at Knights Hall
Date: Saturday, December 14th
Betting Odds BALLST -1.5, BALLST -121 | BELLA -102 O/U 144.5

Cardinals Preview: Will Ball State Make it Happen on the Road?

Ball State Cardinals Recent Game/Games

The Cardinals dropped to 1-6 on the season after an 82-69 road loss to SIUE on Sunday. Ball State entered the game as +3 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 151, surpassing the O/U line of 137.

Ball State led 41-39 at halftime but struggled in the second half, scoring only 28 points while allowing 43. Their inability to maintain their first-half momentum continues to be an issue this season.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Ball State put up 69 points in their latest game, shooting 42.9% from the field and 34.8% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.2%, and they hit 70% of their free throws, going 7-for-10 from the line.

Ray'Sean Taylor led the way with 27 points, knocking down 7 threes on 15 attempts. Ring Malith added 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Juanse Gorosito contributed 17 points, hitting 5 of 9 from deep.

Cardinals Team Defense

Ball State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 82 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 51% of their two-point attempts, with 17 makes on 33 tries.

From beyond the arc, Ball State's opponent shot 45%, knocking down 11 of 24 three-pointers. They also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 15 for 71%. Ball State allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Knights Preview: Will the Knights Defense Show Up at Home?

Bellarmine's season struggles continued with an 86-74 road loss to Western Carolina on Wednesday, dropping their record to 1-7. Entering the game as +5 underdogs, the Knights not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 160, surpassing the pre-game O/U line of 146.

After a 43-43 tie at halftime, Bellarmine was outscored 43-31 in the second half, leading to their defeat. The Knights will need to find answers on both ends of the court as they look to turn their season around.

Knights Offense Breakdown

Bellarmine's offense put up 74 points in their last game, shooting 46.4% from the field and 41.4% from beyond the arc, hitting 12 threes on 29 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 57.1%, and they connected on 66.7% of their free throws, going 10-for-15.

Cord Stansberry and Ben Johnson both shot 8-for-15, with Stansberry hitting 4 threes and Johnson knocking down 5. Stansberry also added 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while Dylan Branson contributed 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Knights Team Defense

Bellarmine's defense struggled, giving up 86 points on 48% shooting from the field. They allowed 31 made field goals on 64 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Bellarmine allowed 13 threes on 32 attempts, with their opponent shooting 40%. They also sent them to the line 18 times, where they made 11 free throws.

Cardinals vs Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Ball State has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 67 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
Across their ten previous home games, Bellarmine has an ATS mark of 3-7. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-9 while averaging 72 points per game.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the underdog, the Knights have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-2.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Cardinals have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.