| MATCHUP | Indiana State Sycamores | Ball State Cardinals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Where | Worthen Arena, Muncie, IN | |
| When | Friday, November 6, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
Indiana State vs Ball State Prediction
I’ll stick with Indiana State but I’m probably not touching this one as neither team played well in their respective openers. The Sycamores didn’t shoot terribly in their loss to Charlotte at 44 percent from the field, and added 83 percent (10-of-12) from 3-point range. Indiana State gave up 50 percent shooting on defense though, and got out-muscled on the boards pretty badly 40-25. The Sycamores will certainly have to be a bit more aggressive and physical in this one.
As for Ball State, they shot a meager 27 percent from the field and 14 percent (5-of-37) from outside with 15 turnovers in their loss to Georgia Southern (who didn’t shoot great either at 38 percent). The Cardinals did rebound well though (47) so that could serve them well in game two. This one seems like a coin-flip proposition to me; I could side either way but it should be a fun watch.
Game Info, Stats and Previews
The Indiana State Sycamores and the Ball State Cardinals meet Friday in college basketball action from Worthen Arena. Here’s a collection of relevant information and reasoning for a sound Indiana State vs Ball State prediction. We have looked at this information from a betting perspective and attempted to determine the best Indiana State vs Ball State pick. We will also examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. We will tie it all together to the pick summary, resulting in a sensible prediction for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Indiana State Sycamores Betting Preview
Last year the Sycamores posted a forgettable campaign. Indiana State went just 11-of-21 overall with a 4-of-16 run in Missouri Valley Conference games. The Sycamores landed ahead of only Evansville in the standings with that result. Indiana State finished the regular season off with a 1-6 run, then fell to Valparaiso in the first game of the conference tournament, finishing their campaign for good.
In their first action of the 2026-27 season on Monday at Hulman Center, the Sycamores took on Charlotte. Indiana State took a loss 78-70 in front of over 6,000 fans in that matchup. Leading the team in the losing effort was Karmani Gregory with 29 points, eight assists and three rebounds. Maguire Mitchell added 15 points with two steals and two boards, while Duce Paschal came off the bench for nine points and five rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
Ball State Cardinals Betting Preview
Over on the Ball State side, they didn’t have a great year in 2025-26 either. The Cardinals finished the season at 12-19 overall with a 7-11 run in Mid-American Conference matchups. With that record Ball State landed ahead of only Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan in the standings. The Cardinals had a pretty rough 1-6 stretch in January/February but finished things off with four straight wins. They were left out of the MAC Tournament due to tiebreakers.
On Monday in their opening game of the season, the Cardinals played Georgia Southern in a road matchup at Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center in Statesboro. Ball State had some troubles in that one and lost 67-55. Topping the scorers was Javion Guy-King, who came off the bench to become the only Ball State player in double-digits with 21 points and five rebounds. Three starters added five points apiece, while both Joey Hart and Kai McGrew had six bench points each.
Indiana State Sycamores @ Ball State Cardinals Betting Trends: November 6, 2026
Why the Ball State Cardinals will win
- Indiana State has lost each of its last seven night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Ball State has won 24 of its last 30 night games against non-Conference opponents at John E. Worthen Arena.
Why the Indiana State Sycamores will win
- Indiana State has won each of its last five games against the Mid-American Conference.
- Ball State has lost five of its last six games against the Missouri Valley Conference.