The Ball State Cardinals (2-1, 1-0) will head to take on the Northwestern Wildcats (3-0, 0-0) this week in a contest between a pair of teams who have started strong. The Big 10’s leading rusher, Justin Jackson (332 yards, 1 TD), and the MAC’s leading rusher, Darian Green (334 yards, 4 TDs) will be featured in this game. It starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sep 26 and will be available on BTN and the BTN2.
In last week’s matchup, Northwestern defeated Duke 19-10. Warren Long had a quality performance running the ball in the victory, dashing two times for 59 yards and one TD. Ball State defeated Eastern Michigan 28-17 in its matchup. Riley Neal had a good performance through the air for the Cardinals, connecting on 24 of 28 pass attempts for 194 yards and one TD. He added 86 yards and a TD on 11 carries. KeVonn Mabon had 76 yards on nine catches.
A close score is not projected this week when the Cardinals, a big 18-point underdog, take on Northwestern.
The Wildcats have performed above expectations so far this year. Their 3-0 records Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) are a noteworthy start. A focal point of Northwestern’s offense is the running game, which ranks 12th in the country with 256.7 rushing yards per game. As for the Northwestern defense, a few key matchups could decide this game. Expect the Wildcats defense to restrict Ball State’s passing attack. The Wildcats have the sixth-ranked pass defense in the nation and give up only 124.3 passing yards per game. Special teams is a weakness for Ball State that the Wildcats may use to their advantage. On average, the Cardinals have allowed 139.3 return yards per game.
As for their opponent, the Cardinals head into Week 4 with records of 1-2 ATS and 2-1 SU. Passing the ball is important for the Cardinals. They attempt 37.7 throwing plays per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Northwestern, ATS Winner – Northwestern
Notes
Northwestern is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Northwestern’s last 22 games.
Northwestern is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games at home.
Northwestern is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games at home.
Ball State is 1-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Northwestern is 2-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
The Northwestern offensive passing attack is ranked only 122nd nationally, while the Ball State pass defense is ranked 114th. The Cardinals passing game is ranked just 75th, compared to the sixth-ranked pass defense of the Wildcats.
