Bellarmine Knights vs Central Arkansas Bears Matchup

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

Bellarmine vs Central Arkansas Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Knights and Bears. The game is starting at 2:00 ET on ESPN+, and it's hosted by the Bears at Farris Center in Conway, AR. Get ready to place your bets! This Atlantic Sun conference matchup has an over/under of 145.5 points, and Central Arkansas is favored to win by -3.5 at home vs. Bellarmine.

Bellarmine vs. Central Arkansas Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Bellarmine Knights at Central Arkansas Bears
Where: Conway at Farris Center
Date: Saturday, January 4th
Betting Odds CARK -3.5, BELLA +145 | CARK -175 O/U 145.5

Knights Preview: Do the Knights Have a Shot at a Road Win?

Bellarmine Knights Recent Game/Games

Bellarmine’s season struggles continued with an 82-66 loss to North Alabama on Thursday, dropping their record to 1-11. The Knights entered the game as +14.5 underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 38-29 at halftime, Bellarmine allowed 44 points in the 2nd half while scoring 37. The combined points of 148 just missed the O/U line of 148.5.

Knights Offense Breakdown

Bellarmine put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 41.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 46.4%. They hit 31.8% from beyond the arc, connecting on 7 of 22 attempts, and were 76.5% from the free-throw line, making 13 of 17 shots.

Daniel Ortiz led the way with 26 points, hitting 8 of 17 threes at a 47.1% clip. Taye Fields added 20 points, shooting 69.2% from the field, while Jacari Lane contributed 13 points and 10 assists.

Knights Team Defense

Bellarmine's defense had a tough outing, giving up 82 points on 49% shooting. They struggled to contain the inside game, allowing 63% shooting on two-pointers.

From beyond the arc, the Knights gave up 11 threes on 32 attempts (34%). They also sent the opposing team to the line 11 times, where they hit 7 free throws.

Bears Preview: Does Central Arkansas Have a Shot at a Home Win?

Central Arkansas fell to 2-10 on the season after an 89-83 loss to Eastern Kentucky on Thursday. The Bears, who were +6.5 point underdogs, managed to keep it close and covered the spread. The game’s total points of 172 exceeded the O/U line of 152.5.

Central Arkansas led 30-28 at halftime but couldn’t hold on, allowing 42 points in the 2nd half while scoring 40 of their own.

Bears Offense Breakdown

Central Arkansas put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 40.7% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.9%, with a 51.1% mark on two-point attempts and 27.8% from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of 36 threes. They struggled at the free-throw line, making just 7 of 14 attempts.

George Kimble III led the way with 33 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 50% overall and 40% from three. Layne Taylor added 27 points and 10 assists, connecting on 5 threes at a 38.5% rate. The Bears also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and totaled 20 assists in the game.

Bears Team Defense

Central Arkansas gave up 89 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 40% from the field. They allowed 51% shooting on two-point attempts, as the other team went 23/45.

From beyond the arc, Central Arkansas held the other team to 27% shooting, with 10 made threes on 36 attempts. The opposing team also shot 50% from the free-throw line, making 7 of 14 attempts. Central Arkansas allowed 15 offensive rebounds.

Knights vs Bears Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Bellarmine has a straight up record of 0-5 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-4. The team averaged 64 points per game in these games.
In their last ten games at home, the Bears have a straight up record of 1-9 while going 7-3 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 66 points per game in these contests.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Knights have a straight up record of 1-9. But, their mark vs the spread was just 3-7.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Bears have a straight up record of 5-5. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.