The Toledo Rockets (3-0) head to take on the Ball State Cardinals (2-2) with a six-game win streak that dates back to last season on the line. The MAC’s second-leading rusher, Darian Green (402 yards, 4 TDs) will be featured in this game. It kicks off Saturday, Oct 3 at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESP3 and AMSN.
In last week’s matchup, Ball State lost to Northwestern 24-19. Riley Neal had a solid performance through the air in the loss, connecting on 14 of 35 pass attempts for 178 yards and two TDs. He was also a threat running the ball, gaining 74 yards on 16 carries. Toledo easily got past Arkansas State 37-7 in its matchup. Phillip Ely had a quality performance through the air for the Rockets, connecting on 25 of 52 pass attempts for 308 yards and one interception. Terry Swanson had 71 rushing yards and two TDs on 17 carries.
The odds between the Cardinals and the Rockets are even this week, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable currently.
With a 2-2 both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Cardinals will look to improve as they head into Week 5. On average, the Rockets earn eight flags each game, one of the worst rates in the nation. Such errors could be beneficial for the Cardinals if they persist into this week’s game.
Over on the other sideline, the Rockets are a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS this season. Passing the ball is important for the Rockets. They attempt 39.3 throwing plays per game. Teams need to stay focused in the first quarter against the fast-starting Rockets, who average 11 points in the first 15 minutes. For the Cardinals, special teams is an area in need of improvement. Their 119.5 return yards allowed per game rank amongst the worst in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Toledo, ATS Winner – Toledo
Notes
Ball State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ball State’s last 6 games.
Ball State is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games at home.
Ball State is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ball State’s last 5 games at home.
Ball State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toledo.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Ball State’s last 10 games when playing Toledo.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ball State’s last 6 games when playing at home against Toledo.
Toledo is 3-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Ball State is 1-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Dating back to last season, Ball State is 5-3 SU against MAC opponents, while Toledo is 6-1 SU against conference foes.
When comparing just conference ratings, Ball State seems to hold the overall advantage in the passing game. Its offensive passing attack (ranked 10th in the MAC) will face the 12th-ranked pass defense of Toledo, while its 10th-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 12th-ranked passing game of the Rockets.
When analyzing just in-conference ranks, Ball State seems to have the overall advantage in the run game. Its first-ranked rushing attack will face the 12th-ranked run defense of Toledo, while its first-ranked run defense will look to contain the 12th-ranked rushing game of the Rockets.
