Ball State Cardinals vs SMU Mustangs Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 2
SMU is scoring 92.7 points per game in Dallas, and Ball State's deliberate style, 70.0 scored and 66.7 allowed, sets up a tempo clash at Moody Coliseum.
The Matchup
SMU is 3-0 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, scoring 92.7 points per game and allowing 68.3. The Mustangs, now in the Atlantic Coast Conference, spread the production around: Jakub Szumert leads at 15.7 points per game, David Terrell Jr. adds 5.3 assists per game, and Jaden Toombs contributes 7.0 rebounds per game. No single Mustang has to carry the night, which makes SMU hard to scheme against.
Ball State is 1-2 out of the Mid-American Conference and plays a completely different game by tempo: 70.0 points scored and 66.7 allowed per game. Sean Blake leads the Cardinals at 15.0 points and 3.3 assists per game, with Mason Jones at 8.3 rebounds per game. The ratings blend this season with last season, when SMU went 20-14 and Ball State finished 12-19, and the blend keeps SMU clearly better while trimming the edge the raw 3-0 start implies. Blake and Szumert both carry no injury designations.
Key Factors
Tempo is the whole argument. Ball State's games carry far fewer possessions and far fewer total points than SMU's, and a low-possession game compresses margins. A favorite needs possessions to build a huge lead, and the Cardinals are built to deny exactly that.
The counterpoint: SMU's depth and scoring balance could break the game open in transition before Ball State can set its defense, and if the Mustangs shoot well early, the Cardinals do not have the firepower to chase. Ball State has scored 70.0 per game for a reason. Still, asking any team to clear a spread this large against a deliberate, low-event opponent is asking a lot, and the Cardinals' style is the best friend an underdog can have.
SMU is the better team in Dallas, yet Ball State plays slow, low-event basketball that keeps margins contained, and this spread leaves no room for a quiet stretch. Take Ball State Cardinals +22.5 at -108.
Game Information
| Date | Friday (11/13) |
|---|---|
| Start Time | 8:00 PM CT |
| How to Watch | ACC Network |
| Venue | Moody Coliseum (Dallas), Dallas |
| Spread | SMU Mustangs -22.5 |
| Total | 152.5 |
| Moneyline | SMU Mustangs -6,500 |
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