The Mid-American Conference season kicked off last weekend and continues Wednesday, November 11, with the Eastern Michigan Eagles versus Ball State Cardinals showdown at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.
Both Eastern Michigan and Ball State dropped their opening contests and will try to bounce back in this one. We should see a very entertaining game, so I’ve prepared all need-to-know betting tips and trends along with my best betting pick for the Eagles vs. Cardinals clash in Muncie.
The Eagles lost the opener but narrowly covered the spread
Eastern Michigan started the new season with a 27-23 defeat at the Ken State Golden Flashes as 4.5-point road underdogs. The Eagles covered, but that’s just a consolation price for blowing a three-point lead in the fourth quarter.
They were down 20-9 at halftime. Thanks to Preston Hutchinson, the Eagles overcame their deficit and had a 23-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but junior QB was picked off in their ultimate drive. Hutchinson finished 21-from-35 for 241 yards and a couple of touchdowns and interceptions.
Anyway, the Eagles’ ground game was terrible, so they cannot blame Preston for their loss. Eastern Michigan racked up only 61 rushing yards on 32 carries, and that’s a miserable output. On the other side, the Eagles allowed 212 rushing yards and 219 passing yards to the Golden Flashes.
The Cardinals dropped their opener in Oxford as favorites
Ball State is coming off a 38-31 defeat at the Miami (OH) RedHawks. The Cardinals failed to satisfy the odds as 1-point favorites while blowing an 11-point second-half lead. It was their fifth defeat in the last six games overall, and the Cardinals covered just twice in that span.
Senior RB Caleb Huntley led the way for the Cardinals in the opener. He toted the pigskin 21 times for 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Last season, Huntley had 1275 rushing yards while averaging 5.1 yards per carry, and the Cardinals will lean on their workhorse as long as he’s healthy.
Senior QB Drew Plitt tossed for 309 yards, a TD, and an interception in the opener, while senior wideout Justin Hall had four receptions for 124 yards and a TD. However, the Cardinals 422 total yards, and their defense completely fell apart in the second half.
Trends:
Eastern Michigan:
- 14-6 ATS in the last 20 games on the road
- 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings with Ball State
- 4-1 ATS in the last five games overall
Ball State:
- 3-6 ATS in the last nine home contests
- 1-4 ATS in the last five games when listed as favorites
The Winner Prediction
The Cardinals opened as 8.5-point favorites at William Hill, and I think they’ll struggle to cover. Ball State has a potent offense, but the Cardinals’ defense is a big issue. Last year, the Cardinals were yielding a whopping 31.4 points per game (94th in the country).
On the other side, the Eagles had some serious defensive issues in 2019, too, allowing 30.3 points per contest (85th). They didn’t impress against Kent State, but the Eagles should have enough offensive firepower to make this game interesting to watch.
Pick: Take Eastern Michigan and the points (+8.5) (-110).
The Total:
The over has hit in seven of Ball State’s previous eight outings at home. Also, the over is 5-0 in the Cardinals’ last five games, 6-1 in the Eagles’ previous seven contests on the road, and 5-0 in the previous five encounters between Ball State and Eastern Michigan at Scheumann Stadium.
I’ve mentioned that both schools have defensive problems, while the betting trends are obviously suggesting the over.
Pick: Go over 60.5 points (-110)