Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Prediction, Betting Pick, and Latest Odds
Northern Illinois is coming off a tough loss to Central Michigan last week in a game where they allowed 37 points. How will their defense fare tonight against a very anemic Ball State offense? Let's break it down.
Joey Ruiz - November 7, 2023, 3:47 PM EST
5 minBall State vs. Northern Illinois Prediction, Betting Pick, and Latest Odds
Northern Illinois' defensive performance last week against Central Michigan was a bit of a shock as they allowed 37 points and got throttled on that side of the ball. Northern Illinois has had one of the better defenses in the MAC this season so this was surprising to see but I do think they will bounce back tonight against a very one-dimensional Ball State offense.
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: CBSSN
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Odds
- Spread: Ball State +10 (-110), Northern Illinois -10 (+100)
- Total Odds: Over 44.5 (+102), U 44.5 (-112)
- Moneyline Odds: Ball State (+280), Northern Illinois (-310)
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Prediction
Ball State's passing game has been nearly non-existent this season and the Cardinals were lucky to even score 21 points last week against Bowling Green. Ball State has a rushing percentage of 54% this season and their offense is currently ranked 128th in overall yards per play (4.3), 128th in yards per game (277), and 128th in yards per passing attempt (5.5).
Ball State has been offensively challenged all season as they have already had games against Toledo, Georgia Southern, and Eastern Michigan where they were only able to score six, three, and ten points in those games. The Northern Illinois defense has also played much better at home this season as they held Southern Illinois (a top FCS squad) to 14 points, a high-powered Tulsa offense to 22 points, Ohio to 13 points, and EMU to 13 points.
It is not uncommon to see a team play much better at home but Northern Illinois' defense has really stepped up when in the confines of their own stadium. Both teams are also coming off games that soared over.
Northern Illinois was in a shootout and Ball State was in a back-and-forth game with Bowling Green that went over a low total fairly easily. The Ball State offense has struggled on the road and Northern Illinois' defense has been fairly elite at home, especially against conference opponents to this point.
I think the comp to this game is when Northern Illinois played EMU at home and won by a score of 20-13 in which neither team totaled over 300 yards. The Ball State offense is even worse than EMU and runs the ball at an even higher rate. With that being said, I believe this is all a recipe for a lower scoring game so I am rolling with the Full Game Under 44.5 at -112 for 1.5U as one of my most confident college football plays of the day for tonight's action as I think this will be a low scoring, grind it out type of affair. Feels like a 24-13 type game.
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Pick
1.5U Full Game Under 44.5 -112 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Win a $50 Gift Card on College Football Saturday
Think you know what's going to happen in various games on College Football Saturday this week? Answer the pick questions below for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!
College Football Odds
