by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Nov 14, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IL
Where to watch: ESPN2
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Ohio -3.5
FanDuel: Ohio -4.5
BetMGM: Ohio -3.5
Caesars: Ohio -4
Season record
Ohio: 7-3 (5-1 MAC)
Ball State: 5-5 (3-3 MAC)
The college football fun never stops and we're inching closer to conference championship season. A lot of big games are still to be determined in who will play whom and where, and our top-notch handicappers have been at the forefront for the last month or so providing you with the winners you need to head into December with some confidence in your pocket. How can you be so sure? Of course you have to look at the likes of Kyle Hunter going 20-8-0 over the last 30 days, as well as Will Rogers at 22-14-0 over the last month. What about Vegas Writer? He's sitting at 12-6-1 over the last 30 days since joining our team of champion handicappers that has been killing it everywhere this year. You see the success rate. You need to be on board to join our guys who can get you where you need to go for the homestretch of the college football season. Make sure you're keeping tabs here at bigal.com to find out what our champion handicappers are thinking in all sports!
Ohio - Ball State preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Ohio: won 5 straight, won 37-21 at Miami-Ohio last week
Ball State: lost 28-21 at Toledo
The MAC is heating up and if anyone tells you any different, they’re lying to you and you need to sit and enjoy mid-week football at its finest. Right now, the hottest team in the conference is the Ohio Bobcats on a 5-game winning streak. If they run the table, they’ll be in the conference title game. To do that, they need to finish off their final road game of the year Tuesday against the Ball State Cardinals.
The MAC is heating up and if anyone tells you any different, they’re lying to you and you need to sit and enjoy mid-week football at its finest. Right now, the hottest team in the conference is the Ohio Bobcats on a 5-game winning streak. If they run the table, they’ll be in the conference title game. To do that, they need to finish off their final road game of the year Tuesday against the Ball State Cardinals.
To think of how big of a run this has been for Ohio has been kind of insane. The Bobcats have put up 55, 33, 24, 45 and now 37 points and have overcome some early defensive deficiencies to be at 7-3 and close in on a conference title appearance. The Bobcats are coming off a 37-21 win at Miami-Ohio with Kurtis Rourke once again at the helm.
Rourke continued his incredible season by throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns – 133 yards went to Miles Cross on six receptions – and Sieh Bangura ran for 145 yards and a touchdown to pace an Ohio offense that has dominated at the right time.
Ohio put up 556 total yards of offense while the defense – which was so bad to start the year and is still giving up about 32 points per game on average – held the Redhawks to just 313 yards of offense. Ohio dominated the possession game by holding onto the ball for 41 minutes and gaining 27 first downs. And think of it this way: For Rourke to not only outduel Brett Gabbert (244 yards, 3 TDs) and win the game comfortably says a lot about how good Ohio has been during this win streak.
Ball State is still looking to clinch bowl eligibility after coming off a 28-21 loss at Toledo last week. There’s no shame in losing to the red-hot Rockets, but given how Ball State played on offense, there’s reason for frustration. Quarterback John Paddock threw for 94 yards and an interception on 13 of 35 passing – which should be illegal in some countries – but star running back Carson Steele still found wiggle room to run for 198 yards and three touchdowns.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they couldn’t get a fourth after Steele ran for a 34-yard house call to begin the second half and Toledo got two more touchdowns to eventually win the game. If not for the inadequate quarterback play, and instead just give it to the running back all day, maybe we’d be talking about the Cardinals in the bowl hunt. Alas, things don’t work that way.
Prediction
There’s such a large talent gap in the MAC and you just know when there’s a clear gap between quarterbacks with these two teams. Ball State will keep it competitive with the running game, but they have no answer for Rourke and that’s going to be the biggest challenge in this game, especially for the home team. Ohio by 14
Betting trends
Ohio is 6-0 ATS against conference opponents this season.
Ohio is 4-13 ATS on the road off 2 straight wins by 10 points or more in conference play since 1992.
Ball State is 15-30 ATS off a road conference loss since 1992.
The under is 13-4 off an Ohio road win since 1992.
Statistical leaders
Ohio:
Passing: Kurtis Rourke -- 3,087 yards, 24 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Sieh Bangura -- 640 yards, 8 TD
Receiving: Sam Wiglusz -- 714 yards, 9 TD
Ball State:
Passing: John Paddock -- 2,333 yards, 16 TD, 11 INT
Rushing: Carson Steele -- 1,280 yards, 12 TD
Receiving: Jayshon Jackson -- 755 yards, 3 TD
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Ohio Bobcats - Ball State Cardinals prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college football projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
