Ball State at NIU NCAA Football Betting Tips 10/5/2019

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Huskie Stadium

Ross Bowers and the NIU Huskies play the Ball State Cardinals at Huskie Stadium on Saturday, October 5, 2019. NIU opens this game as 7.5-point favorites. The Cardinals are 2-2-0 ATS and 2-2-0 when betting on the total. The Huskies are 1-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-1-0 against the spread.

Key Ball State Cardinals Injuries

09/29/19 RB Caleb Huntley Ankle is questionable Saturday vs No Illinois

Key NIU Huskies Injuries

09/29/19 LB Jordan Cole Targeting Suspension left last game, is out 1st half Saturday vs Ball State
09/27/19 LB Kyle Pugh Shoulder is out for season

In their last game, the Ball State Cardinals took on the NC State Wolfpack and took the loss by a score of 34-23. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Cardinals was Drew Plitt who went 35/57 with 333 yards passing but wasn't able to get any balls in the endzone via the pass. He gave away 1 pick during the game. Caleb Huntley led the team in rushing for that contest. He had a long run of 11 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He ran for a total of 52 yards via 13 carries which gave him an average of 4.0 yards per tote. Justin Hall was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 73 yards on 8 catches. He had an average of 9.1 yards per catch for that contest. The Ball State Cardinals ran the football 30 times and added 84 yards which earned them an average of 2.8 yards per rushing attempt. In the game, they ran 87 plays which gave them a total of 417 yards. In the game, the Cardinals got 25 1st downs and they had a total of 7 penalties for 55 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When discussing the defense, Ball State conceded 19 catches on 34 tries for a total of 185 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.9%. Against the run, the Cardinals conceded 204 yards on 41 runs which gave the opponent an average of 5.0 yards per run allowed. Overall, they allowed 389 yards and earned 2 takeaways.

The Cardinals come into this matchup with a record of 1-3 for the 2019 season. For total yardage, they sit in 2nd in the MAC and 54th in Division 1 with 1,883 yards. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 33.8 points per contest, ranking them 45th in Division 1. As a unit, they have an average of 126.3 rushing yards per game which is 7th in the Mid-American Conference. The Cardinals have one of the worst defenses in college football, allowing 34.5 points per contest putting them 9th in the Mid-American Conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Cardinals have allowed 1,378 yards. Teams are completing 63.6% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. When talking about rushing yards, Ball State is giving up 149.5 yards per game ranking them 4th in the MAC and 68th in D-1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.9 yards per carry ranking them 3rd in the conference and 60th in Division 1 overall. In total, they have allowed 598 yards rushing through 4 games.

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The last time they took the field, the NIU Huskies faced the Vanderbilt Commodores and were defeated 24-18. Jordan Nettles led the team in rushing for that game. He broke a long run for 34 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He racked up a total of 64 yards via 10 carries which gave him an average of 6.4 yards per run. Spencer Tears was the receiving yardage leader with a total of 100 yards on 3 catches. He earned an average of 33.3 yards per catch for that game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Huskies was Ross Bowers who went 17/32 with 280 yards passing and threw 1 touchdown. He walked away with no picks. The NIU Huskies ran the ball a total of 31 times and added 108 yards which had them averaging 3.5 yards per run. On the day, they finished with a total of 63 plays which gave them a total of 388 yards. For the contest, the Huskies racked up 20 1st downs and they had a total of 9 penalties for 74 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. When discussing the defense, NIU allowed 21 catches on 28 tries totaling 189 yards, and a completion percentage of 75.0%. In the running game, the Huskies allowed 189 yards on 23 tries allowing their opponent an average of 8.2 yards per run allowed. In the game, they conceded 378 yards but didn't get any takeaways.

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The Huskies come into this matchup with a record of 1-3. NIU hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 84.8 yards on the ground per game, which has them at 124th in D-1. As a team, they have compiled a total of 339 yards rushing through 4 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Huskies average 357.3 yards per game overall putting them 99th in the country and 9th in the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies are conceding 28.3 points per contest ranking them 3rd in the Mid-American Conference and 77th in D-1. In discussing points allowed, they have given up 113 total points. In regard to rushing yards, they are conceding 167.8 yards per contest ranking them 91st in Division 1 and 5th in the conference. In 2019, they have given up a total of 671 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns. Their passing defense is one of the middle of the road units in the nation. They are giving up 219.3 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Huskies are currently ranked 3rd in the Mid-American Conference.

Who will win tonight's Cardinals/Huskies college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Cardinals +7.5

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