Ball State Cardinals vs. Wisconsin Badgers Picks and Prediction for Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Use Code WWWC It’s an early season clash on the hardwood and it brings a non-conference tilt between foes from the MAC and the Big Ten on the hardwood in the Badger State as the Ball State Cardinals take on the #24 Wisconsin Badgers Tuesday night and we have you covered with our Ball State vs. Wisconsin prediction. Ball State comes in off an 84-54 home win over Mansfield Friday in their previous game, which had no posted line by the sportsbooks. Wisconsin rolled past Northern Illinois 97-72 at home in their previous contest Friday night, failing to cover the line as a 28.5-point favorite. In the all-time series between the schools, the Badgers own a 6-2 advantage, including a 60-50 home win in the most recent matchup November 20, 1999. Read more about this Ball State vs. Wisconsin prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Try our NCAAB Predictions!
Ball State Looking to Start Season 3-0
Ball State rolled past Mansfield, a non-Division I foe, at home Friday night in their previous contest, to remain unbeaten on the year. The Cardinals improved to 2-0 on the year and look to spring an upset in their first game against a ranked foe since 2019. Against Mansfield, Ball State scored eight of the game’s first 10 points only to find themselves down 18-17 with 7:05 to go in the first half. The Cardinals rallied to lead 32-28 at the half before outscoring the Mountaineers 52-26 in the second half to pull away for the win. Ball State shot 50.8% from the floor, including six of 23 from beyond the arc, and forced 21 turnovers in the victory. Armoni Zeigler led the Cardinals with 20 points, nine rebounds, and five steals in the win.
The Cardinals put up 79.5 points per game this season, putting them 196th in the nation in scoring offense this season. Ball State collects 38 rebounds per contest while dishing out an average of 14.5 assists a night. The Cardinals are above average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 40th in scoring defense by allowing 59 points per game. Armoni Zeigler leads the team as he puts up 16.5 points plus six rebounds per game this season. Davion Hill (16 points, seven rebounds, four assists), Cam Denison (12 points, 4.5 rebounds), and Elmore James IV (10 points) each average in double figures this season. Kayden Fish, Devon Barnes, Juwan Maxey and Mason Jones each are logging solid minutes for the Cardinals. Ball State shoots 51.4% from the field as a team this season, putting them 56th in the nation. The Cardinals knock down seven triples per game while shooting 36.8% from three-point range. Ball State is below average at the charity stripe, sinking 60% of their attempts this year, putting them 326th in the nation.
Badgers Shoot to Climb in Rankings
Wisconsin cruised to a second straight blowout win to open the season as it rolled past Northern Illinois in their previous contest. The Badgers enter this game 2-0 on the year and look to work on climbing the AP rankings. Against Northern Illinois, Wisconsin led 12-2 less than three minutes into the game and controlled things the rest of the way. The Badgers were up 52-33 at the half and led by as many as 28 in the wire-to-wire victory. Wisconsin shot 49.2% from the floor, including nine of 31 from three-point range, and controlled the glass by a 36-25 margin. Nick Boyd paced the Badgers with 25 points in the victory.
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The Badgers are 41st in the nation in scoring offense this season, as they are putting up an average of 96.5 points per game. Wisconsin grabs 35 rebounds per contest and hands out 16.5 assists per game. The Badgers are 133rd in the nation in scoring defense as they allow 68 points a night. Nick Boyd is one of four Badgers averaging in double figures as he averages 23 points plus 3.5 assists a night on the season. John Blackwell (23 points, five rebounds), Austin Rapp (10.5 points) and Nolan Winter (14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds) are good secondary options. Andrew Rohde, Braeden Carrington, Aleksas Bieliauskas, Isaac Gard, Jack Janicki, Will Garlock, Hayden Jones, Jack Robinson and Riccardo Greppi are all called upon for key minutes and contributions for the Badgers. Wisconsin is shooting 50% from the floor as a team this season. The Badgers sink 10 three-pointers a game (77th) while hitting 33.9% (163rd) from beyond the arc. Wisconsin is excellent at the free throw line, converting 80.4% of their attempts at the free throw line this year, putting it 30th in the nation.
Ball State vs. Wisconsin Pick
Spread Pick and Prediction for Ball State vs. Wisconsin Spread
- Wisconsin -25.5 (4 units)
Ball State won their first two games of the season, but there’s a big step up in competition for the Cardinals here. Throw in that they’re playing a power conference team, which is ranked, and the fact that they are the visiting team makes things tough for Ball State. Wisconsin racked up points in its first two games of the year, hanging 96 on Campbell in the opener before dropping 97 on Northern Illinois Friday night. The Badgers have shot the ball well and the combination of Boyd and Blackwell is tough for Ball State to contain. Wisconsin downed Northern Illinois by 25 and they should take on a few more points here to cover the line.
Ball State vs. Wisconsin Over/Under Pick
- Under 153.5 (4 units)
Ball State stayed under the number in his lone game with a posted total this season. The Cardinals combined for 139 points in their win over Louisiana, staying under the number of 142.5 points set by the sportsbooks. Ball State saw the over post a 15-13 mark in 2024-25, though they went under the mark in six of their last seven games with a posted number. Wisconsin went over the number in their first two games of the year, mainly due to putting up 95-plus points in both games. The Badgers are 16th in offensive efficiency, 31st in defensive efficiency, 27th in forced turnover percentage (24.9%) and 59th in allowed offensive rebounding percentage (23.6%) this season. Wisconsin is 212th in adjusted tempo with 71.3 possessions a night. Wisconsin gets its points, but it’s tough to see Ball State putting up big numbers. Lean toward the under in this contest as a result.
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