The Purdue Boilermakers will host the Ball State Cardinals in Week 1 of the college football season on Saturday. Purdue got just one win last season and is a heavy favorite to equal that win total in this game. The Boilermakers will hope that their new head coach can lead them to a strong start to the 2025 season. Here, you can find my breakdown of this non-conference matchup and my Ball State vs Purdue prediction.
Our Ball State vs Purdue Pick
- Pick: Purdue -18.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Ball State Cardinals vs Purdue Boilermakers
- Date & Time: Saturday, August 30, 2025, 12:00 PM ET
- Venue: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
- Broadcast: BTN
Ball State vs Purdue Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Purdue –18.5 | Purdue –1000 / Ball State +600 | 50.5 |
Key Storylines
Purdue arrives under a new head coach in 2025. Barry Odom comes to West Lafayette after a successful run in the Mountain West with UNLV. He will be tasked with building up the Purdue program following a dismal 1–11 2024 season under former coach Ryan Walters.
Ball State also has a new head coach going into this season. They are led by first-year coach Mike Uremovich and projected to finish near the bottom of the MAC in the league’s preseason poll. The Cardinals went 3-9 last season and finished with the second-worst record in MAC play. A culture change for both programs will be necessary if they are going to have more success in 2025.
Uremovich is a Purdue graduate and that adds another layer of intrigue to this matchup. He will try to upset his alma mater in his debut coaching Ball State and will try to keep his team composed while managing his own emotions surrounding this game.
Quarterback Play
Purdue has named Ryan Browne their starting quarterback going into this season. Browne has been with the Purdue program since 2023 and has seen limited action on the field. This game will be a nice chance for him to prove himself against an inferior opponent.
Senior Kiael Kelly is likely to see the most action at quarterback for Ball State. Kelly saw some playing time in 2023 and had more rushing yards than passing yards. His ability to both throw and run could cause problems for the Purdue defense if Kelly ends up on the field for the bulk of this contest.
Ball State vs Purdue Model Projection
Score Projection: Ball State 17 – Purdue 42
Win Probability: Ball State 12%, Purdue 88%
Final Thoughts
Purdue should look very different than the team we saw a season ago in terms of offensive production. They should get off to a fast start in this game against a Ball State team that is likely to be overmatched in the trenches. I will lay the points with the Boilermakers in this contest, as they should run away with this matchup to match their win total from a season ago.
