Kent State vs. Ball State Prediction and Odds: Back Golden Flashes on Road
By Matt De Saro
The Kent State Golden Flashes hit the road on Tuesday evening for a visit the Worthen Arena to take on the Ball State Cardinals.
The Golden Flashes are coming off a tight 66-63 win over the Toledo Rockets on Saturday to bring their record to .500 on the year at 6-6. Kent State is 1-1 in MAC play following the win. Sincere Carry led the team with 19 points including the game-winning free throws with just seconds left on the clock. Carry also leads Kent State with a 15.9 points per game average while chipping in 4.8 assists per game.
Ball State also improved to 6-6 after nabbing a win in the MAC over Bowling Green on Saturday.
The Cardinals have won the last two games between these two teams with the most recent meeting a 90-71 home win for Ball State in February of last year.
Here are the odds for this MAC matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Kent State vs. Ball State Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread:
- Kent State -2 (-110)
- Ball State +2 (-110)
Moneyline:
- Kent State -130
- Ball State +110
Total:
- 143.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Kent State vs. Ball State and Pick
Before beating Toledo on Saturday, the Kent State Golden Flashes were going through a bit of a rough patch. It will be interesting to see if they have shaken off that spat.
During the five games prior, Kent State lost four of five and three in a row including their conference opener to Central Michigan last Wednesday. On the season, the Flashes are averaging an impressive 70 points per game which ranks them 228th in the nation. Their rebounding numbers are nothing to get too excited about either, as they average 35.4 per game.
On the whole, Golden Flashes are average from top to bottom. Even their win/loss record is split down the middle. They shoot 42.7 percent from the field and are shooting just 31.3 percent from behind the arc. Their best metric might be their free-throw shooting. An area in which they rank fourth in the nation.
While the Golden Flashes aren’t exactly blowing me away with their stats through 12 games, I do like their chances to come away with a win here. While Ball State’s offensive numbers are at least in the top 120 generally speaking, their defense is downright awful. With an average of 78.1 points per game allowed, the Cardinals rank 341st in scoring defense. That just doesn’t fly with me.
Sure, Kent State has yet to win a game on the road this year while Ball State is 5-0 at home, but, I think that Carry can live up to his name and put this team on his back tonight against one of the worst defenses in the country.
Pick: Kent State -2 (-110)