Worthen Arena · at Ball State · Conference game
Closing line
BALL -5.5✓ NIU covered by 0.5
BALL -5.5✓ NIU covered by 0.5Closing total141.5Under by 30.5
 NIU | This season | BALL |
|---|---|---|
| 4-12 | Record | 4-13 |
| 8-8 | ATS | 7-10 |
| 5-11 | O/U | 6-11 |
ATS = covered-didn’t-push · O/U = overs-unders
Model before tip-off: NIU 67–73 BALL · ✓ BALL (71%) won
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Box score
Score by half
| 1H | 2H | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIU | 22 | 31 | 53 |
| BALL | 29 | 29 | 58 |
1st half: NIU 22, BALL 29 (BALL by 7). The model had BALL by 3.6 and a total of 65.4 (actual 51).
Team stats
| NIU | BALL | |
|---|---|---|
| 18-52 35% | Field goals | 21-47 45% |
| 4-28 14% | 3-pointers | 5-18 28% |
| 13-17 76% | Free throws | 11-18 61% |
| 34 10 off | Rebounds | 29 5 off |
| 7 | Assists | 9 |
| 4 | Steals | 5 |
| 0 | Blocks | 2 |
| 11 | Turnovers | 8 |
| 19 | Fouls | 16 |
| 28 | Points in paint | 32 |
| 9 | Fast-break points | 6 |
Players
| NIU | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gianni Cobb G | 36 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 4-8 | 1-3 |
| Taj Walters G | 35 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 4-7 | 1-4 |
| Makhai Valentine G | 34 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 3-16 | 1-11 |
| Gustav Winther F | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| Dylan Ducommun G | 14 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2-10 | 1-8 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Daemar Kelly G | 24 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1-4 | 0-1 |
| Hassan Washington F | 19 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2-3 | 0-0 |
| Isaiah Washington G | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1-2 | 0-1 |
| Jaylen Wharton F | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
Did not play: Max Laskey, Isaiah Stewart, Ladji Kante, Carlos Coronado, Jao Ituka, Lataevyon Taylor, JJ Taylor
| BALL | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armoni Zeigler G | 35 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 7-15 | 4-6 |
| Elmore James IV G | 29 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2-5 | 1-4 |
| Mason Jones F | 27 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0-4 | 0-2 |
| Devon Barnes G | 24 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2-3 | 0-1 |
| Preston Copeland F | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Bench | ||||||
| Davion Hill G | 30 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7-13 | 0-3 |
| Kayden Fish F | 25 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2-5 | 0-1 |
| Cam Denson F | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Juwan Maxey G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 |
Did not play: Jai Anthoni Bearden, Alex Farley, Easton Foster, Kody Clancy, Zane Doughty, Joey Hart
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Market
Open → close
Spread
OpenBALL -6.5
1 → NIU
CloseBALL -5.5
1 pt toward NIU
Total
Open137.5
▲ 4
Close141.5
Up 4 since the open
Moneyline
NIU +215 · BALL -265
Line movement
Opening and closing line · tap a dot
Opened BALL -6.5 · closed BALL -5.5 · moved 1 toward NIUmodel BALL -6
model BALL -6
Opened 137.5 · closed 141.5 · moved 4 upmodel 139.5
model 139.5
Openline modelTip-off
Pre-game lines only (ESPN, DraftKings first). After tip-off the line shown is the closing line.
Model vs market
| Market | Model | Model edge | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spread | BALL -5.5 | BALL -6.2 | BALL +0.7 | L NIU covered |
| Total | 141.5 | 139.5 | Under 2.0 | W Under |
| Projected score | — | NIU 66.7 · BALL 72.8 |
1st-half model
| Model | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| 1H spread | BALL -3.6 | BALL -7.0 |
| 1H total | 65.4 | 51 |
| 1H projected score | NIU 30.9 · BALL 34.5 | NIU 22 · BALL 29 |
Last 10 games
2025-26, before tip-off
| Straight up | Spread | Over / under | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIU | 2-8 20% | 4-6 40% | 3-7 30% |
| BALL | 2-8 20% | 5-5 50% | 4-6 40% |
Recent meetings
Last 5 of 8 since 2021-22
NIU 2–6 BALLBALL leads · 8 games since 2021-22 · NIU 4-4 ATS
| Date | Result | Line | Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, 2024-25 | NIU 83 @ BALL 89 | BALL -9.5 | NIU W |
| Jan 25, 2024-25 | BALL 66 @ NIU 76 | NIU +5.5 | NIU W |
| Feb 20, 2023-24 | BALL 70 @ NIU 63 | NIU -0.5 | BALL W |
| Jan 27, 2023-24 | NIU 71 @ BALL 81 | BALL -4 | BALL W |
| Feb 14, 2022-23 | NIU 77 @ BALL 87 | BALL -11.5 | NIU W |
ATS History · 2025-26
WwinLloss·Wats winLats lossPpush·Owent over the totalUwent under the total
N Illinois
16 games played
Straight up
4-12
25% wins
Against the spread
8-8
50% covers · avg −0.2 pts vs the line
Over / Under
5-11
31% overs · avg −3.8 pts vs the total
Game by game: lines, results and totals
Lines, results and totalsCover margin by game · points beyond the lineTotal margin by game · points over or under the total
| Date | Opp | Result | Line | ATS | Total | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3 | vs ULM | W 102-82 | -7.5 | W +12.5 | 147.5 | O 184 |
| Nov 7 | @ WIS | L 72-97 | +28.5 | W +3.5 | 157.5 | O 169 |
| Nov 10 | @ GCU | L 59-88 | +22.5 | L −6.5 | 163.5 | U 147 |
| Nov 18 | @ UNI | L 57-70 | +19.5 | W +6.5 | 146.5 | U 127 |
| Nov 21 | @ LUC | W 76-59 | +13.5 | W +30.5 | 148.5 | U 135 |
| Nov 25 | @ APSU | L 59-77 | +6.5 | L −11.5 | 147.5 | U 136 |
| Dec 2 | vs LIN | L 64-99 | -3.5 | L −38.5 | 147.5 | O 163 |
| Dec 6 | @ BRAD | L 55-84 | +18.5 | L −10.5 | 146.5 | U 139 |
| Dec 13 | @ ELON | L 79-85 | +11.5 | W +5.5 | 156.5 | O 164 |
| Dec 20 | vs CMU | W 74-73 | -2.5 | L −1.5 | 149.5 | U 147 |
| Dec 31 | vs BUF | L 67-81 | +6.5 | L −7.5 | 152.5 | U 148 |
| Jan 3 | @ KENT | L 73-77 | +16.5 | W +12.5 | 157.5 | U 150 |
| Jan 6 | vs TOL | L 61-75 | +7.5 | L −6.5 | 161.5 | U 136 |
| Jan 13 | @ EMU | L 59-77 | +7.5 | L −10.5 | 141.5 | U 136 |
| Jan 17 | vs MASS | W 70-68 | +8.5 | W +10.5 | 157.5 | U 138 |
| Jan 20 | @ OHIO | L 77-80 | +11.5 | W +8.5 | 154.5 | O 157 |
Day
Opp
Result
MissedCovered
Margin
3
vsULM
ULMW 102-82
+12.5
7
@WIS
WISL 72-97
+3.5
10
@GCU
GCUL 59-88
−6.5
18
@UNI
UNIL 57-70
+6.5
21
@LUC
LUCW 76-59
+30.5
25
@APSU
APSUL 59-77
−11.5
2
vsLIN
LINL 64-99
−38.5
6
@BRAD
BRADL 55-84
−10.5
13
@ELON
ELONL 79-85
+5.5
20
vsCMU
CMUW 74-73
−1.5
31
vsBUF
BUFL 67-81
−7.5
3
@KENT
KENTL 73-77
+12.5
6
vsTOL
TOLL 61-75
−6.5
13
@EMU
EMUL 59-77
−10.5
17
vsMASS
MASSW 70-68
+10.5
20
@OHIO
OHIOL 77-80
+8.5
covered 8didn’t cover 8avg −0.2 ptslonger = bigger margin
Day
Opp
Result
UnderOver
Margin
3
vsULM
ULMW 102-82
+36.5
7
@WIS
WISL 72-97
+11.5
10
@GCU
GCUL 59-88
−16.5
18
@UNI
UNIL 57-70
−19.5
21
@LUC
LUCW 76-59
−13.5
25
@APSU
APSUL 59-77
−11.5
2
vsLIN
LINL 64-99
+15.5
6
@BRAD
BRADL 55-84
−7.5
13
@ELON
ELONL 79-85
+7.5
20
vsCMU
CMUW 74-73
−2.5
31
vsBUF
BUFL 67-81
−4.5
3
@KENT
KENTL 73-77
−7.5
6
vsTOL
TOLL 61-75
−25.5
13
@EMU
EMUL 59-77
−5.5
17
vsMASS
MASSW 70-68
−19.5
20
@OHIO
OHIOL 77-80
+2.5
over 5under 11avg −3.8 ptslonger = bigger margin
Ball State
17 games played
Straight up
4-13
24% wins
Against the spread
7-10
41% covers · avg −2.2 pts vs the line
Over / Under
6-11
35% overs · avg −4.7 pts vs the total
Game by game: lines, results and totals
Lines, results and totalsCover margin by game · points beyond the lineTotal margin by game · points over or under the total
| Date | Opp | Result | Line | ATS | Total | O/U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3 | vs UL | W 75-64 | -4.5 | W +6.5 | 141.5 | U 139 |
| Nov 11 | @WIS | L 55-86 | +26.5 | L −4.5 | 156.5 | U 141 |
| Nov 15 | vs LR | L 62-68 | -2.5 | L −8.5 | 146.5 | U 130 |
| Nov 22 | @ INST | L 52-70 | +7.5 | L −10.5 | 154.5 | U 122 |
| Nov 28 | vs MONM | L 73-80 | +2.5 | L −4.5 | 136.5 | O 153 |
| Nov 29 | @ LAF | L 37-55 | -1.5 | L −19.5 | 140.5 | U 92 |
| Nov 30 | vs LEM | W 96-85 | +1.5 | W +12.5 | 140.5 | O 181 |
| Dec 3 | @ EVAN | L 52-64 | +6.5 | L −5.5 | 136.5 | U 116 |
| Dec 9 | vs SDST | L 64-68 | +5.5 | W +1.5 | 142.5 | U 132 |
| Dec 14 | @ CAM | L 64-69 | +8.5 | W +3.5 | 145.5 | U 133 |
| Dec 20 | vs M-OH | L 77-86 | +7.5 | L −1.5 | 147.5 | O 163 |
| Jan 3 | @BUF | L 72-85 | +6.5 | L −6.5 | 145.5 | O 157 |
| Jan 6 | vsEMU | L 52-74 | -1.5 | L −23.5 | 137.5 | U 126 |
| Jan 10 | @MASS | L 71-79 | +10.5 | W +2.5 | 147.5 | O 150 |
| Jan 13 | @ AKR | L 77-87 | +20.5 | W +10.5 | 152.5 | O 164 |
| Jan 16 | vsOHIO | W 76-71 | +5.5 | W +10.5 | 147.5 | U 147 |
| Jan 20 | @CMU | W 68-67 | -1.5 | L −0.5 | 142.5 | U 135 |
Day
Opp
Result
MissedCovered
Margin
3
vsUL
ULW 75-64
+6.5
11
@WIS
WISL 55-86
−4.5
15
vsLR
LRL 62-68
−8.5
22
@INST
INSTL 52-70
−10.5
28
vsMONM
MONML 73-80
−4.5
29
@LAF
LAFL 37-55
−19.5
30
vsLEM
LEMW 96-85
+12.5
3
@EVAN
EVANL 52-64
−5.5
9
vsSDST
SDSTL 64-68
+1.5
14
@CAM
CAML 64-69
+3.5
20
vsM-OH
M-OHL 77-86
−1.5
3
@BUF
BUFL 72-85
−6.5
6
vsEMU
EMUL 52-74
−23.5
10
@MASS
MASSL 71-79
+2.5
13
@AKR
AKRL 77-87
+10.5
16
vsOHIO
OHIOW 76-71
+10.5
20
@CMU
CMUW 68-67
−0.5
covered 7didn’t cover 10avg −2.2 ptslonger = bigger margin
Day
Opp
Result
UnderOver
Margin
3
vsUL
ULW 75-64
−2.5
11
@WIS
WISL 55-86
−15.5
15
vsLR
LRL 62-68
−16.5
22
@INST
INSTL 52-70
−32.5
28
vsMONM
MONML 73-80
+16.5
29
@LAF
LAFL 37-55
−48.5
30
vsLEM
LEMW 96-85
+40.5
3
@EVAN
EVANL 52-64
−20.5
9
vsSDST
SDSTL 64-68
−10.5
14
@CAM
CAML 64-69
−12.5
20
vsM-OH
M-OHL 77-86
+15.5
3
@BUF
BUFL 72-85
+11.5
6
vsEMU
EMUL 52-74
−11.5
10
@MASS
MASSL 71-79
+2.5
13
@AKR
AKRL 77-87
+11.5
16
vsOHIO
OHIOW 76-71
−0.5
20
@CMU
CMUW 68-67
−7.5
over 6under 11avg −4.7 ptslonger = bigger margin
Line = the team’s closing spread (negative = favored). ATS number = points beyond the line; total number = combined points.
N Illinois
4-12 overall · 2-5 in conference · Horizon League
Last five, 2025-26
- L@ Ohio77–80
- Wvs UMass70–68
- L@ E Michigan59–77
- Lvs Toledo61–75
- L@ Kent State73–77
4 days since their last game.
Ball State
4-13 overall · 2-5 in conference · Mid-American Conference
Last five, 2025-26
- W@ C Michigan68–67
- Wvs Ohio76–71
- L@ Akron77–87
- L@ UMass71–79
- Lvs E Michigan52–74
4 days since their last game.