Who's Playing

Valparaiso Beacons @ Central Michigan Chippewas

Current Records: Valparaiso 4-4, Central Michigan 2-5

How To Watch

  • When: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: McGuirk Arena -- Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Fubo (Try for free) For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans

What to Know

The Valparaiso Beacons will head out on the road to face off against the Central Michigan Chippewas at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at McGuirk Arena. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Last Saturday, the Beacons couldn't handle the Bruins and fell 77-68. Valparaiso has struggled against Belmont recently, as their match on Saturday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

The losing side was boosted by Isaiah Stafford, who scored 21 points along with 3 steals.

Meanwhile, the oddsmakers predicted a rough matchup for Central Michigan and boy were they right. They were completely outmatched by the Buckeyes on the road and fell 88-61. Central Michigan has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Brian Taylor, who scored 12 points along with 5 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jemal Davis, who scored 15 points.

Central Michigan struggled to work together and finished the game with only seven assists. They were destroyed by their opponents in that department as Ohio State racked up 17.

The Bulldogs' victory bumped their season record to 6-1 while the Beacons' loss dropped theirs to 4-3.

Not only did Valparaiso and Central Michigan lose their last games, but neither team managed to cover the spread. Looking forward, Central Michigan is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 3.5 points. Currently 5-2 against the spread, Valparaiso has been a solid investment this season; on the other hand, Central Michigan is only 2-5 ATS.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Valparaiso have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Central Michigan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.9 per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.

Odds

Central Michigan is a 3.5-point favorite against Valparaiso, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 3.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is set at 140.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Central Michigan and Valparaiso both have 1 win in their last 2 games.

  • Dec 12, 2020 - Central Michigan 84 vs. Valparaiso 79
  • Dec 08, 2019 - Valparaiso 77 vs. Central Michigan 55