Kent State Golden Flashes vs Ball State Cardinals Prediction, 11/18/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kent State Golden Flashes vs Ball State Cardinals

Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023

Location: Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, IN

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Cardinals (-13)

Total/Over-Under: 42

The Ball State Cardinals (3-7) will take on the Kent State Golden Flashes (1-9) at Scheumann Stadium on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Kent State opens this contest as 13-point dogs from oddsmakers. The total comes in at 42.

The Kent State Golden Flashes head into this game 1-9 for this season. In their last matchup, the Golden Flashes faced the Bowling Green Falcons and took a loss by a score of 49-19. Tommy Ulatowski went 23/40 with 284 yards through the air and 1 TD. He had a quarterback rating of 120.4 and finished the contest with 1 pick. Jaylen Thomas was the rushing leader for the Golden Flashes with 18 attempts for 73 yds (4.1 yds per carry). Once the final whistle blew, they ran 72 plays which totaled 358 yds. The Kent State Golden Flashes ended up rushing 32 times and recorded 74 yards, which earned them an average of 2.3 yds per carry. Against the run, the Golden Flashes gave up 190 yards on 39 tries, which averages out to 4.9 yds per run surrendered. Kent State conceded 17 completions on 23 attempts for a total of 286 yds, and a completion rate of 73.9%.

When it comes to scoring points, the Kent State Golden Flashes hold an average of 14.6 PPG. As a team they're averaging 112.9 yards on the ground giving them a rank of 112th in the nation. The Golden Flashes have earned 2,782 total yards this year. When it comes to getting in the endzone, Kent State has totaled 9 touchdowns via the pass and 7 rushing touchdowns. Kent State has accounted for 153 first downs offensively, and they have committed 54 penalties for 455 yards. They have surrendered the football 10 different times.

Regarding passing yards, the Golden Flashes are allowing 2,303 yds which has them sitting in 74th in college football. They have conceded 230.3 yards per outing via the pass in addition to allowing a completion percentage of 60.0%. During this campaign, they are allowing 387.3 yards per contest ranking them 77th in D-1. They have conceded 20 touchdowns by air and 24 touchdowns on the ground. They are giving up 4.3 yards per running attempt and 157.0 rushing yards per game so far this season. During the season, they have allowed 1,570 running yards through 10 games. The Golden Flashes rank 121st in the country concerning the opposition scoring, allowing 34.4 points per game.

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The Cardinals step onto the field holding a record of 3-7 this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Cardinals got the victory with a final of 20-17 when they played the NIU Huskies. Kiael Kelly (1 touchdown) ended the game with 115 yards on 15/25 passing while his quarterback rate was 111.8. He kept the ball away from the defense with no picks and his Y/A was 4.6. Marquez Cooper carried the rock 25 times for 93 yards, finishing the contest with 3.7 yds per carry for Ball State. Ball State rushed the ball for 4.2 yds per attempt, finishing with a total of 186 yds on 44 carries. The Cardinals finished the contest with 301 yds and they ran 69 plays (4.4 yards per play). The Cardinals secondary conceded a completion rate of 53.6%, surrendering 141 yds on 15 out of 28 passing. Ball State gave up 29 attempts on the ground for 174 yards (6.0 yards per rush).

Regarding their scoring prowess, the Cardinals sit 129th in the country by tallying 17.0 points per game. The Ball State Cardinals are averaging 294.4 yards/contest, which has them ranked 128th in Division 1. The Ball State offense has racked up 446 yards of penalties on 53 violations, which is good for 96th in the country in terms of making mistakes. They have thrown 7 picks while surrendering 7 fumbles and they have been able to record 175 first downs. Over the course of the season thus far, the Cardinals have compiled 1,460 passing yards as well as holding an average of 146.0 passing yards per game, which is ranked 127th in Division 1. They average 148.4 rushing yards per game and have rushed for 1,484 yards for this year.

Ball State has allowed the opposition a total of 1,264 rushing yards (126.4 yards/game) and 14 touchdowns via the rush so far this season. They have surrendered 16 touchdowns through the air and 221.3 yards per outing, which puts them in 56th in the country. Their defense has earned 6 fumbles and 3 interceptions on the season. The Cardinals defense has been on the field for 636 plays, which is 34th in the country. The Cardinals are allowing 27.3 points per contest, which has them sitting 76th in college football. Overall, they have conceded 273 points.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Golden Flashes +13

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