Northern Illinois Huskies vs Ball State Cardinals Betting Pick & Prediction 10/26/24
ESPN+ will be covering this week nine college football matchup between the Northern Illinois Huskies and Ball State Cardinals. Kick-off is set for 3:30 ET at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie. The Huskies are favored by -11.5 points, with the over/under line at 48.5 points. The money line odds have Northern Illinois at -457 and Ball State at +350. The Huskies enter the game with a 4-3 record, while the Cardinals are 2-5 on the season.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES VS BALL STATE CARDINALS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Ball State Cardinals +11.5
This game will be played at Scheumann Stadium at 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 26th.
WHY BET THE BALL STATE CARDINALS:
- We have the Northern Illinois Huskies winning this one by a score of 26 to 18
- Even though we like the Northern Illinois Huskies to win, our ATS pick is to take the Ball State Cardinals at +11.5
- We see this game finishing below the line of 48.5 points
Will The Northern Illinois Huskies Win As Road Favorites?
Northern Illinois heads into Week 9 against Ball State with a 4-3 record and a 97.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. They are ranked 83rd in our power rankings and have gone 2-1 on the road and 1-1 at home this season.
The Huskies have a +6.9 average scoring margin and are 3-1-1 against the spread. They’ve covered the spread in all three road games but are 0-1-1 ATS at home. Northern Illinois has been favored in two games, going 0-1-1 ATS as the favorite and 3-0 ATS as the underdog.
This week’s over/under line is 48.5 points, higher than their average line of 44.6 points. Northern Illinois’ over/under record is 1-4, with their games averaging 40 points per contest.
Northern Illinois has leaned heavily on their rushing attack this season, ranking 5th in the nation with 45.4 rushing attempts per game and averaging 216.3 rushing yards per game, which places them 16th nationally. Overall, their offense is averaging 23.4 points per game, and they are ranked 96th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9.
Quarterback Ethan Hampton has thrown for 932 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 89. Northern Illinois ranks 101st in the country in passing yards per game. Cam Thompson leads the team with 244 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Northern Illinois’ defense has been a strong point this season, ranking 13th nationally by allowing just 16.6 points per game. In their recent game against Toledo, they gave up only 13 points, but still lost 13-6. The defense allowed 286 total yards, including 134 rushing yards on 36 attempts and 152 passing yards.
Opponents are averaging 103.6 rushing yards per game against Northern Illinois, which ranks 19th in the country. Quarterbacks have managed just a 56% completion rate and 156.4 passing yards per game, the 13th-lowest figure nationally.
Are The Ball State Cardinals Going Win In At Upset At Scheumann Stadium
Ball State enters Week 9 with a 2-5 record, ranked 126th in our CFB power rankings. They have just a 1% chance of becoming bowl-eligible this season. At home, they are 0-1, while they’ve gone 1-4 on the road.
The Cardinals have been favored in only one game this season and are 1-0 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is -17.7 points per game, and they are 3-3 against the spread this year.
Their over/under record stands at 5-1, with their games averaging 68 points. This week’s line is set at 48.5 points, well below their average over/under line of 55.9 points.
Ball State’s offense is averaging 25.1 points per game heading into week 9, placing them 68th in the nation. They are ranked 91st in our offensive power rankings. The Cardinals have relied heavily on their passing game, ranking 23rd in passing attempts per game. They are 16th in completions, averaging 23.3 per game, and are 69th in passing yards, with 223.3 yards per game. Their third-down conversion rate is 39%.
Kadin Semonza leads the team with 1,538 passing yards and a 66.8% completion rate. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, with a passer rating of 90. On the ground, Ball State is averaging 106.3 rushing yards per game. Braedon Sloan leads the rushing attack with 451 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cam Pickett has 271 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Ball State’s defense has struggled this season, giving up an average of 42.9 points per game. In their recent matchup against Vanderbilt, they allowed 24 points, surrendering 423 total yards, including 275 passing yards and 148 rushing yards.
Opponents have averaged 310.9 passing yards per game against Ball State, completing 67.1% of their throws. On the ground, Ball State has faced 31.6 rushing attempts per game, allowing an average of 184.6 rushing yards.