Ball State Cardinals vs Buffalo Bulls Matchup

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

Ball State vs Buffalo Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Cardinals and Bulls. The game is starting at 5:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Bulls at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, NY. Get ready to place your bets! Ball State is favored by -2.5 in this Mid-American conference contest against Buffalo. The game's over/under currently sits at 151.5 points.

Ball State vs. Buffalo Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Ball State Cardinals at Buffalo Bulls
Where: Buffalo at Alumni Arena
Date: Saturday, February 1st
Betting Odds BALLST -2.5, BALLST -144 | BUF +120 O/U 151.5

Cardinals Preview: Can the Cardinals Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

Ball State Cardinals Recent Game/Games

The Cardinals fell to 6-11 on the season after a 74-71 home loss to Western Michigan on Tuesday. Ball State, who were -4.5 favorites, failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 41-36 at halftime, Ball State outscored the Broncos 35-33 in the 2nd half but couldn’t complete the comeback. The game’s total points of 145 fell short of the 150.5 O/U line.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Ball State's offense put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 43.9% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.1%, with a two-point shooting mark of 52.8% (19/36) and a three-point percentage of 28.6% (6/21). At the free-throw line, they connected on 62.5% of their attempts, going 15-for-24.

Payton Sparks was a force on the boards, grabbing 17 rebounds to go along with his 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Jermahri Hill also scored 19 points, though he struggled from the field, hitting 8 of 20 shots. Donovan Williams contributed 16 points, shooting 60% overall and adding 7 rebounds.

Cardinals Team Defense

Ball State's defense gave up 74 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field on 25 of 57 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 19 of 36 shooting for 52%.

From three-point range, Ball State held their opponent to 6 of 21 shooting, or 28%. The other team also went 15 of 24 from the free-throw line, hitting 62% of their foul shots. Ball State allowed 17 offensive rebounds.

Bulls Preview: Can the Bulls Offense Score Enough at Home?

Buffalo Bulls Recent Game/Games

Buffalo improved to 5-13 on the season with a 75-69 win over Central Michigan on Tuesday. The Bulls were +6 point underdogs going into the game but managed to cover the spread with the victory. The total points for the game ended at 144, just under the O/U line of 144.5.

Buffalo was down 34-30 at halftime but turned things around in the 2nd half, scoring 45 points while holding Central Michigan to 35 points.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

Ryan Sabol's 24 points and 6 threes at a 50% clip led the Bulls to 75 points, with an overall shooting percentage of 45.2% and an effective field goal percentage of 51.6%. They hit 33.3% from deep, connecting on 9 of 27 attempts, while their two-point shooting was more efficient at 54.3%.

Buffalo struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 58.8% of their attempts, and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. Tyson Dunn dished out 9 assists, while Jakobi Heady pulled down 11 boards. Anthony Pritchard added 16 points and 5 assists in the win.

Bulls Team Defense

Buffalo's defense gave up 69 points in their last game, with their opponents shooting 45% from the field on 28/62 shooting. Inside the arc, the Bulls allowed 54% shooting, with their opponents hitting 19 of 35 two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, Buffalo's defense held their opponents to 33% shooting, as they went 9/27 from three-point range. The Bulls also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 10 free throws, shooting 58%. Buffalo allowed 14 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cardinals vs Bulls Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, Ball State has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 76 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
Across the Bulls last ten home games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 84. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 1-9 straight-up.
The last three games that Buffalo was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
Going back to their last five games as the favorite, the Cardinals have a straight up record of 2-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.