A couple of teams that like to keep the ball on the ground, Head Coach Chris Creighton and the Eastern Michigan Eagles (-3) are gearing up to pay a visit to the Ball State Cardinals at Scheumann Stadium. This MAC game starts at 3:00 p.m. ET and spectators can view the action live on ESPN+. These squads met last year with the final outcome being a 56-14 win for Eastern Michigan.
Betting Preview: Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ball State Cardinals
In this Saturday Mid-American matchup, Eastern Michigan is projected as the favorite and is currently giving up 3 points. The Eagles are also receiving -155 moneyline odds while the Cardinals are +135. If one side catches a lucky break early it will create a nice betting scenario in-game. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 51.5 points.
The Eagles are 5-2 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 1.9 units so far. They’ve been a good under bet and have posted an O/U record of 1-5.
The Cardinals have lost 0.5 units this season. The team is 4-3 ATS and also has an O/U record of 1-5.
The Eagles are 3-4 straight up (SU), including 1-3 SU against conference opponents. The Cardinals are 3-4 SU overall and 2-1 SU in conference play.
The Eagles enter after a 28-26 victory over Toledo last week. the Eagles completed 17-of-23 passes for 183 yards. Tyler Wiegers went 11-for-15 for 83 yards while Mike Glass III completed six-of-eight for 100 yards. Shaq Vann (51 rushing yards on 11 attempts, one TD) and Mike Glass III (125 yards on 10 carries, two TDs) led the ground attack while Arthur Jackson III (five receptions, 44 yards) and Blake Banham (four catches, 21 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Ball State enters this one having just earned a 24-23 win over Central Michigan. The defense allowed the Chippewas to rush for 261 yards on 50 attempts, along with one rushing TD. Romello Ross had a productive showing in the loss, posting 111 rushing yards on 14 attempts for Central Michigan. For Ball State, Riley Neal completed 19-of-26 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown. Neal (55 yards on 24 rush attempts, two TDs) and James Gilbert (72 yards on 19 carries) handled the running game while Malik Dunner (five receptions, 55 yards) and Miller (five catches, 42 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Eastern Michigan has run the ball on 55.0 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Ball State has a rush percentage of 50.2 percent. The Eagles have rushed for 142.6 yards/game (including 159.8 per game versus Mid-American opponents) and have 12 scores on the ground this year. The Cards are averaging 179.6 rush yards per game (149.3 in conference) and have 11 total rushing TDs.
It seems like the Cards should hold an advantage in the trenches. Their offensive line has yielded just 14 sacks while the D-line has registered 16 sacks. The Eagles O-line has given up 21 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing signal-callerss on just 13 occasions.
The Eagles offense has tallied 260.7 yards/contest in the air overall (235.0 per game against conference opposition) and has 12 passing TDs so far. The Cards have recorded 264.6 pass yards per outing (303 against MAC competition) and have 10 total pass scores.
Defensively, Eastern Michigan has let opponents rush for an average of 211.7 yards and pass for 191.1 yards per game. The Ball State D has given up 207.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 196.1 yards per game on the ground. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Eagles have given up an ANY/A of 5.32 to opposing QBs, while the Cards are yielding an ANY/A of 5.12.
Passing-wise, Glass III is up to 602 yards this season, and has completed 61 percent of his 61 attempts with five scores through the air and only one interception. Glass III has a sparkling 9.59 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 8.97 over the last two outings.
In the other locker room, Riley Neal has managed to complete 134-of-225 passes for 1,424 yards, nine TDs and three INTs. Neal’s ANY/A stands at 5.86 for the season and 4.65 across his last two outings.
Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ball State Cardinals Free Pick
SU Winner: Eastern Michigan, ATS Winner: Eastern Michigan, O/U: Under
Betting Trends
- The Ball State D has recorded 16 sacks on the year while Eastern Michigan has 13.
- Both offenses have lost four fumbles this season.
- The Eagles offense has registered seven pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Cardinals have accounted for three such plays.
- The Eastern Michigan defense has allowed five pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Ball State has given up two such plays.
- The Eastern Michigan offense has created six rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while Ball State has created eight such runs.
- The Eagles defense has allowed 12 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Cardinals have given up nine such runs.
- The O/U for Ball State’s last matchup was set at 55. The under cashed in the 24-23 victory over Central Michigan.
- Over its last three matchups, Ball State is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
- Over its last three matchups, Eastern Michigan is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in each of those three.
- The O/U for Eastern Michigan’s last game was 62.5. The under cashed in the team’s 28-26 victory over Toledo.
- As a team, Eastern Michigan has produced 4.2 yards per carry across its last three outings and 5.0 over its last two.
- Ball State has averaged 3.4 yards per carry over its last three matchups and 3.2 over its past two.
