Central Michigan vs Youngstown State 12/21/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Youngstown State Penguins and Central Michigan Chippewas meet Wednesday in college basketball action at the McGuirk Arena. The Youngstown State Penguins look for their ninth win. The Central Michigan Chippewas look for their fifth win.

The Youngstown State Penguins are averaging 85.8 points on 49.2 percent shooting and allowing 74 points on 44.4 percent shooting. Dwayne Cohill is averaging 17.5 points and 2.6 rebounds, while Malek Green is averaging 14.4 points and 7.8 rebounds. Adrian Nelson is the third double-digit scorer and Brandon Rush is grabbing 2.3 rebounds. The Youngstown State Penguins are shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc and 76.7 percent from the free throw line. The Youngstown State Penguins are allowing 36.3 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 34.5 rebounds per game.

The Central Michigan Chippewas are averaging 69.9 points on 42.2 percent shooting and allowing 70.3 points on 41.6 percent shooting. Kevin Miller is averaging 18.5 points and 5.3 assists, while Brain Taylor is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. Jesse Zarzuela is the third double-digit scorer and Reggie Bass is grabbing 3.7 rebounds. The Central Michigan Chippewas are shooting 29.4 percent from beyond the arc and 71.1 percent from the free throw line. The Central Michigan Chippewas are allowing 31.3 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 33.4 rebounds per game.

The Penguins are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Wednesday games. The Chippewas are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss. The over is 16-5 in Penguins last 21 overall. The under is 5-2 in Chippewas last 7 overall. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

The Youngstown State Penguins are the better team and should be favored. However, the Central Michigan Chippewas have been on the wrong side of some frustrating games, and I do believe they’re better than their record indicates. A bounce here or a bounce there, and Central Michigan is sitting in a better position. Central Michigan does win at home by an average of 14.3 points. I’ll take a shot with the underdog.