The Ball State Cardinals will be looking to extend their six-game winning streak when they face the Akron Zips on Friday night on CBS Sports Network. Ball State was able to keep its hot streak alive with a 90-83 win against Toledo on Tuesday. Akron has won six of its last seven games, including a 76-51 win over Northern Illinois earlier this week.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. The Cardinals are favored by 2.5 points in the latest Ball State vs. Akron odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 132.5. Before entering any Akron vs. Ball State picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 9 of the season 30-16 on all top-rated college basketball picks, returning more than $800 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ball State vs. Akron. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Ball State vs. Akron:
- Ball State vs. Akron spread: Ball State -2.5
- Ball State vs. Akron over/under: 132 points
- Ball State vs. Akron money line: Ball State -140, Akron +120
- Ball State vs. Akron picks: See picks here
Why Ball State can cover
Ball State is red-hot coming into this matchup, having rattled off a six-game winning streak over the past month. The Cardinals were able to extend their winning streak with a 90-83 win at Toledo on Tuesday, despite going into that game as 8.5-point underdogs. Jarron Coleman poured in 26 points for Ball State, knocking down 9 of 18 shot attempts from the floor.
Coleman is one of four Ball State players scoring in double figures, averaging 14.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Jaylin Sellers (14.5), sophomore center Payton Sparks (13.1) and senior guard Demarius Jacobs (13.0) are all double-digit scorers as well. The Cardinals have covered the spread in five of their last seven games, while Akron has only covered three times in its last 11 games.
Why Akron can cover
Akron is in good form coming into this game as well, having won six of its last seven games. The Zips came up short at Bradley on Dec. 22, but they responded with a pair of blowout wins. Their most recent outing was a 76-51 win against Northern Illinois, as they easily covered the 13-point spread.
They were able to pick up that comfortable win despite playing without leading scorer Xavier Castaneda, who was sidelined due to a hand injury. Castaneda, who averages 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, is questionable to play on Friday night. Junior forward Enrique Freeman stepped up with 27 points and 15 rebounds against Northern Illinois, upping his season averages to 13.7 points and 10.4 rebounds.
How to make Akron vs. Ball State picks
The model has simulated Ball State vs. Akron 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Akron vs. Ball State? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 30-16 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
