The Northern Illinois Huskies (2-3) play the Ball State Cardinals (2-3) looking to snap their three-game losing streak. This game will feature the MAC’s third-leading rusher, Joel Bouagnon (442 yards, 8 TDs), and the third-leading receiver, Jordan Williams (447 yards, 4 TDs). Both Northern Illinois and Ball State enter the game having faced their share of struggles this season. Things have only gotten worse as of late, with both teams having lost three of their last four. The game will begin Saturday, Oct 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESP3.
Northern Illinois was defeated by Central Michigan 29-19 last week. Joel Bouagnon had an outstanding performance on the ground in the loss, gaining 104 yards and two TDs on 26 carries. Ball State also fell short, falling to Toledo 24-10. Riley Neal had a good game throwing the ball for the Cardinals, completing 23 of 37 passes for 236 yards and one TD.
The Huskies, a 10-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Ball State visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently unavailable.
The Huskies enter the game with records of 2-3 Straight Up (SU) and 2-2-1 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. On special teams, Northern Illinois has some playmakers. They average 152.8 return yards per game, third in Division I.
On the other side, the Cardinals have 2-3 SU and ATS records this season. If the Huskies aren’t careful with ball security against Ball State’s defense, they are going to be in some trouble. That defense has recovered the 18th-most fumbles on the season with one per game. Ball State fans don’t normally have much to complain about when it comes to the refs. The Cardinals record very few penalties, ranking second with only 3.4 per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Northern Illinois, ATS Winner – Ball State
Notes
Northern Illinois is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games.
Northern Illinois is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
Northern Illinois is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Northern Illinois’s last 12 games.
Northern Illinois is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
Northern Illinois is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Ball State.
Both teams are 1-1 SU when leading at halftime this season.
Remarkably, Northern Illinois is winless (0-2) SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet 2-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Northern Illinois also has an edge in the passing game when comparing just conference ratings. Its offensive passing attack (ranked seventh in the MAC) will face the 11th-ranked pass defense of Ball State, while its seventh-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 11th-ranked passing game of the Cardinals.
When looking into conference ranks, Ball State seems to have the overall advantage in the running game. Its first-ranked rushing attack will face the third-ranked run defense of Northern Illinois, while its first-ranked run defense will look to contain the third-ranked rushing game of the Huskies.
