Ball State Cardinals at Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Odds

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The No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1) will be at home in Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center when they clash with the Ball State Cardinals (4-4). The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 150.5 points with Notre Dame set as a 17.5-point favorite. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.

Ball State Cardinals vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Free Preview

In the Cardinals last game, they won big over the IUPUI Jaguars, 83-64. With 12 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Mallers had a solid game for Ball State. Ball State dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a phenomenal effective field goal percentage of 0.621 (above their season average of 0.523) and a turnover percentage of 18.6 (worse than their season average of 16.2). For those same stats, IUPUI was 0.440 and 21.8, respectively. The Fighting Irish come in on a high note after thoroughly outplaying the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers in their last game, 71-53. With 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting, Martinas Geben was the games leading scorer. Notre Dame dominated every stat category in the game. They had a ridiculous free throw rate of 0.345 (above their season average of 0.263) and a turnover percentage of 12.4 (worse than their season average of 11.8). For those same stats, St. Francis Brooklyn put up marks of 0.150 and 19.7, respectively. Notre Dame should be expected to protect the ball well in this contest. Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Notre Dame ranks first in the NCAA at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 14.1 percent), while Ball State has forced the 74th-fewest turnovers (17.5 percent). This game should be a showdown of contrasting styles. The up-and-down Cardinals rank 46th in possessions per game, while the slower-paced Fighting Irish rank 303rd. These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Ball State games have gone over 60.0 percent of the time, while games including Notre Dame have gone under 75.0 percent of the time. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Fighting Irish have a significant advantage. They are 6-1 SU and 3-1 ATS, while the Cardinals are 4-4 SU and 3-2 ATS.

Ball State Cardinals vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish ATS Prediction

Predictions: SU Winner – Notre Dame, ATS Winner – Ball State, O/U – Over

Betting Notes (2016-Present):

  • The Cardinals average 3.5 blocks per game, which ranks 127th in the nation. The Fighting Irish rank 219th in blocks allowed per game (3.9).
  • Notre Dame ranks 46th in assists per game (15.7) while Ball State ranks 133rd in assists allowed per game (12.9).
  • Notre Dame ranks 23rd in steals allowed per game (5.0) while Ball State ranks 253rd (7.3).
  • The Cardinals rank 105th in rebounds per game (37.1) while the Fighting Irish rank 255th (33.9).
  • Notre Dame ranks 84th in three pointers attempted per game (23.2) while Ball State ranks 220th in three pointers allowed per game (22.3).