Ball State Cardinals vs Northern Illinois Huskies Matchup

Check out our free Northern Illinois Huskies vs Ball State Cardinals pick and preview for this CFB week 9 game in Muncie. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 9 CFB matchup.

Coming into this week nine matchup, the Northern Illinois Huskies are on the road vs. the Ball State Cardinals. Kick-off is set for 3:30 ET from Scheumann Stadium in Muncie. The Huskies are favored by -11.5 points, and the over/under line is at 48.5 points. You can catch this one on ESPN+. Northern Illinois has a 4-3 record, while Ball State is just 2-5 on the season.

Huskies vs. Cardinals Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Northern Illinois Huskies at Ball State Cardinals
Where: Muncie at Scheumann Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Betting Odds NILL -11.5, NILL -457 | BALLST +350 O/U 48.5

Huskies Preview:

Northern Illinois enters Week 9 with a 4-3 record, facing Ball State on the road. They are ranked 83rd in our power rankings and have a 97.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. So far, they are 2-1 on the road and 1-1 at home this season.

The Huskies have gone 3-1-1 against the spread, with a perfect 3-0 ATS record on the road. Their average scoring margin is +6.9 points per game, and they’ve only been favored in two of their seven matchups this season.

This week’s over/under line is 48.5 points, higher than their average line of 44.6. Northern Illinois’ over/under record is 1-4, with their games averaging 40 points per contest.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Northern Illinois has leaned heavily on their ground game this season, ranking 5th in the nation with 45.4 rushing attempts per game. They are averaging 216.3 rushing yards per game, placing them 16th nationally. However, Gavin Williams, their leading rusher, has 487 yards and just one rushing touchdown, averaging 4 yards per carry.

Overall, the Huskies are averaging 23.4 points per game, and we have them ranked 96th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9. Quarterback Ethan Hampton has thrown for 932 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Northern Illinois ranks 101st in passing yards per game.

Huskies Team Defense

Northern Illinois' defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 13th nationally by allowing just 16.6 points per game. In their recent game against Toledo, they gave up only 13 points, but the offense struggled in a 13-6 loss. The defense allowed 286 total yards, including 134 rushing yards on 36 attempts and 152 yards through the air.

Opponents have averaged 103.6 rushing yards per game against Northern Illinois, ranking 19th in the nation. The defense has faced 31.7 rushing attempts per game and 25.6 passes, allowing a 56% completion rate and 156.4 passing yards per game, which is 13th-best nationally.

Cardinals Preview:

This week’s over/under line is 48.5 points, higher than their average line of 44.6. Northern Illinois’ over/under record is 1-4, with their games averaging 40 points per contest.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Ball State’s offense is averaging 25.1 points per game heading into week 9, placing them 68th in the nation. They are ranked 91st in our offensive power rankings. Their run game has been lacking, with just 106.3 rushing yards per game, ranking 108th nationally.

Kadin Semonza leads the passing attack with 1,538 yards and a 66.8% completion rate. Ball State ranks 23rd in passing attempts and 16th in completions. Semonza has thrown 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, and his passer rating is 90.

Cardinals Team Defense

Ball State's defense has struggled this season, allowing an average of 42.9 points per game. In their recent matchup against Vanderbilt, they gave up 24 points, surrendering 423 total yards, including 275 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 310.9 passing yards per game against Ball State, completing 67.1% of their throws. The defense has also allowed 184.6 rushing yards per game on 31.6 attempts per game, which ranks 37th fewest in the country.

Huskies vs Cardinals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road contests, the Northern Illinois Huskies offense has averaged 26 points per game while allowing an average of 23. Northern Illinois posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 7-3 ATS.
In their last ten games at home, the Ball State Cardinals have a straight up record of 2-8 while going 4-5-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 17 points per game in this stretch.
Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Ball State has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 0-3 straight up.
Across their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Northern Illinois Huskies have an overall record of 3-2 while going 1-3-1 against the spread.