It's a Friday primetime MAC attack as the Ball State Cardinals host the Western Michigan Broncos in a nationally-televised game at 9 p.m. ET. Ball State opened as a 5.5-point home favorite and now is laying four. The Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, opened at 146.
Before picking either side, you need to read what SportsLine college hoops expert and Vegas handicapper Zack Cimini has to say.
Last week, Cimini made another strong MAC pick involving Miami-Ohio at Ohio, confidently selecting Ohio -3. He astutely recognized that the RedHawks were coming off a tough loss to Eastern Michigan and the Bobcats would pull off the tight cover. The result: Ohio seized control of the game late to win, 92-87, allowing Cimini to cash with a couple points to spare.
As tipoff approaches on Friday, Cimini has examined every matchup, every player and every trend for Western Michigan-Ball State and locked in his bold against-the-spread pick. We can tell you he's expecting a high-scoring affair and is leaning towards the Over, but what about the spread?
He knows the Cardinals' best shot at covering the spread will be to keep WMU's leading scorer, Thomas Wilder, out of the paint. He nets 19 points a game and is tough to stop at point-blank range. They will also need to stick tight on Broncos guard Bryce Moore, who knocks down threes at a 41-percent clip.
But the Broncos could cover the spread -- and win outright -- by forcing the rock out of the hands of 6-foot-9 Ball State center Trey Moses, who shoots 58 percent from the field. Keeping the Cardinals on the perimeter will be key for Western Michigan since Ball State shoots 34 percent from beyond the arc.
So what side of Western Michigan-Ball State do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong point-spread pick by Cimini, who has absolutely crushed college basketball, and find out.
