Ball State Cardinals vs Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Picks and Prediction for Monday, November 3, 2025

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns visit Muncie, Indiana, and Worthen Arena on Monday to open the college basketball regular season against the Ball State Cardinals. Last season, Louisiana was 12-21 overall and 8-10 in the Sun Belt Conference. Last season, Ball State finished 14-17 overall and 7-11 in Mid-American Conference play. Louisiana and Ball State do not have any players listed on their injury reports. Make sure to read this in-depth Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns vs Ball State Cardinals prediction. Stay ahead of the tournament curve with our NCAAB picks for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns vs. Ball State Cardinals prediction.

Louisiana enters the season with a rebuilt roster

The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns lost most of their players from last season, including most of their scorers. The top returning players from last season are forwards Zeek Cook, Dariyus Woodson, and Kyran Ratliff. But combined, the three represented less than 20% of the scoring from last season. The Ragin’ Cajuns will rely on transfers, a red-shirt freshman, and the three top returning players from last season, but will need time to gel as a unit.

The top transfer joining the Ragin’ Cajuns is Dorian Finister. Finister is a guard who played for Kansas State and Sam Houston State. While with the Bearkats, the guard scored an average of 8.0 points per game. Karris Bilal is a red-shirt guard who, in his senior year of high school, averaged 26.0 points per game and finished as the all-time leading scorer at his HS. The Ragin’s Cajuns will likely not compete for the Sun Belt title but will be competitive and pull off an upset here and there.

Ball State has 10 new faces on the roster

The Ball State Cardinals lost most of their roster to the transfer portal and graduation. The one notable returning player for the Cardinals is Elmore James IV, who transferred prior to last season from Ohio and gives the Cardinals leadership and experience playing in the MAC. Last season, James IV averaged 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

The new incoming players include 7 transfers and 3 freshmen. Armoni Zeigler transferred from Saint Peter's, where he averaged 11.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists last season. Zeigler will make an impact immediately. Devon Barnes transferred from UTEP and last season averaged 10.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game and will give the Cardinals plenty of perimeter shooting. The top freshman is Jai Anthoni Bearden from Phoenix.

Ball State Cardinals vs. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Pick

Spread Pick for Ball State vs. Louisiana

• Ball State Cardinals (4 units)

Both teams had a tremendous amount of roster turnover that will cause early-season problems at both ends of the court. However, Ball State appears to have the stronger group joining their team, including two new transfers who will make immediate impacts on the backcourt via scoring and defense. Zeigler and Barnes will be the difference makers in this matchup, as they both have plenty of experience at this level, can score, rebound, and lead; therefore, the Cardinals will open the season with a win at home over the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Over/Under Pick for Ball State Cardinals vs. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

• Under ( units)

Let's go under. New faces on the roster for both teams mean little to no continuity from last season. Therefore, playmaking will not be as proficient until the new players gel as a unit. Shooting may be solid as each player has his own talent and does not need the help of others in shooting, but if the teams are not in sync offensively, open shots will not occur often enough for scoring runs, and the defense for both teams will dominate.