The Ball State Cardinals and Toledo Rockets are ready to go at it on the turf at Glass Bowl. The matchup gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET and fans can watch the action live on ESPN2.
Ball State Cardinals vs. Toledo Rockets Betting Preview
This Wednesday MAC game shows the Cardinals as a big underdogs and they’re currently receiving 17 points. In order to take the home favorite, moneyline gamblers would currently have to wager $1,400 to win $100 back on the Rockets (-1400). The Cardinals are getting +780 moneyline odds. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 63.5 points, and should one school can create a bunch of points early, it would likely lead to a worthwhile betting scenario in-game.
Sharp bettors have been leaning toward both the Rockets and the over. This opening line was originally set at -14 while the total was initially 62.5.
The Cardinals are 4-5 against the spread (ATS) and have lost 2.5 units so far. They’ve been a decent under bet and have posted an O/U record of 3-5. The Rockets are down 2.3 units this season. The team is 3-5 ATS and five of its games have gone over the total.
The Cardinals are 3-6 straight up (SU), including 2-3 SU against conference opponents. The Rockets are 4-4 SU overall and 2-2 SU in conference play.
The Cards are most-recently reeling from a 52-14 defeat to Ohio last week. the Cardinals completed 16-of-32 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Drew Plitt went nine-for-17 for 86 yards and one interception while Riley Neal completed seven-of-15 for 76 yards and one touchdown. James Gilbert (52 rushing yards on nine attempts) spearheaded the ground attack. Justin Hall (four receptions, 42 yards) and Trevor Hohlt (three catches, 33 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
Toledo just got a 51-24 win over Western Michigan. The team’s defensive unit allowed the Broncos to pass for 307 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 125 yards. Jayden Reed was a bright spot in the loss, posting 103 yards and two touchdowns on six catches for Western Michigan. As a group, the Rockets collectively completed 18-of-32 passes for 247 yards and five touchdowns. Mitchell Guadagni went 10-for-18 for 140 yards and two touchdowns while Eli Peters was eight-of-14 for 107 yards and three touchdowns. Bryant Koback (99 yards on 10 rush attempts, one TD) spearheaded the running game as Cody Thompson (six receptions, 63 yards, three TDs) and Diontae Johnson (four catches, 49 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Ball State has run the ball on 49.0 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Toledo has an overall rush percentage of 59.1 percent. The Cardinals have rushed for 174 yards/game (including 151 per game against Mid-American opponents) and have 14 scores on the ground this year. The Rockets are putting up 204 rushing yards per game (236 in conference) and have 16 total rush TDs.
It seems like the Cardinals could own an advantage when it comes to applying pressure, as their offensive line has yielded only 33 sacks while the D-line registered 24 sacks. The Rockets, on the other hand, have allowed 22 sacks and their defense has logged only 22 sacks.
The Cards offense has averaged 241 yards in the air overall (245 per game versus conference opposition) and has 12 passing TDs so far. The Rockets have put up 224 pass yards per game (178.8 against MAC competition) and have 23 total pass scores.
Defensively, Ball State should have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has let opponents run for an average of 216 yards and throw for 206 yards per game. The Toledo defense has given up 273.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 186.4 yards per game to opposing runners. The Cards are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 5.68 to opposing QBs, while the Rockets have allowed a 6.72 ANY/A.
Offensively, Neal has amassed 1,760 passing yards on the year. He’s connected on 173-of-296 attempts with 10 passing scores and only three interceptions. Neal has a 5.57 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 4.22 over the last two outings.
Eli Peters has connected on 43-of-85 passes for 543 yards, eight TDs and one INT for Toledo. His ANY/A sits at 6.99 for the year and 8.71 over his past two outings.
These two programs met last year with the final outcome being a 58-17 victory for Toledo.
RELATED: Week 10 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
Free Pick: Ball State Cardinals at Toledo Rockets
SU Winner – Toledo, ATS Winner – Toledo, O/U – Over
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Notes
Team Betting Notes
The Over/Under for Ball State’s last game was set at 65.5. The over cashed in the team’s 52-14 loss to Ohio.
As a team, Ball State has produced 4.4 yards per carry over its past three games and 5.6 over its last two.
Toledo has averaged 5.6 yards per carry over its last three contests and 6.7 over its past two.
Toledo has lost three fumbles this season while Ball State has let seven get away.
In its last three games, Ball State is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
Ball State has lost four of its last five games SU, with a one-point win over Central Michigan on October 13th representing the only victory over that span.
The O/U for Toledo’s last outing was set at 68. The over cashed in that 51-24 victory over Western Michigan.
In its last three matchups, Toledo is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The Cardinals offense has registered three pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Rockets have accounted for five such plays.
The Ball State defense has allowed four pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Toledo has given up nine such plays.
The Ball State offense has created nine rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Toledo has created 14 such runs.
The Cardinals defense has allowed 13 rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Rockets have given up 15 such runs.
Each team defense has recorded 18 sacks this season.
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