Coming up on Thursday, December 21 at 8:00 PM ET, bettors can check out the matchup between the Ball State Cardinals (8-3) and Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-3) as they compete at the Williams Arena in Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have a point spread at -11.5 (-120), which shows they are favored.

 

The Cardinals just had their three-game winning streak snapped in their last game. This was an 83-72 defeat against the Indiana State Sycamores. They are now 3-2 over their last five and they are aiming to get back on track.

 

Basheer Jihad leads them with 18.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds. He is shooting 50.7 percent from the field and also makes 69.7 percent of his free throws.

 

They are getting 76.1 points per game and shooting 46.4 percent from the field. They move the ball solidly at 12.3 assists per game to find the open man. This will need to improve if they want a chance at winning.

 

The Cardinals are slowing teams to 66.5 points per game and they are snatching down 36.0 rebounds. They also put up 3.2 blocks and 6.0 steals per contest. 

 

The Golden Gophers are 4-1 over their previous five games. They have won their last three matchups, with a recent 101-65 blowout over the IUPUI Jaguars, where Elijah Hawkins set the school record for the Golden Gophers with 17 assists.

 

Dawson Garcia is one to keep an eye on, as he averages 18.2 points per game and 7.3 rebounds. He is connecting on 49.2 percent of his shots and makes 85.5 percent of free throws.

 

The Golden Gophers are getting 80.5 points per game and make 49.2 percent of their field goals. They do a slightly better job at moving the basketball with 19.7 assists each game.

 

They are giving up just 67.0 points per contest and are securing 39.1 rebounds a game. They also factor in 5.0 blocks and 6.5 steals.

 

MyBookie is offering the odds in this college basketball showdown, which has the Minnesota Golden Gophers as favorites to succeed. According to market analysis, they have an 87.3 percent chance at winning.

 

 

The Cardinals have had some close matchups lately to potentially keep this one interesting, while the Golden Gophers have won by double digits in a handful of their games. Overall, this is shaping up to be a solid opportunity for the Golden Gophers to cover the spread.