Eastern Michigan vs Ball State Odds
| Eastern Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 42.5 -110o / -110u | +115 |
| Ball State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 42.5 -110o / -110u | -140 |
It's the Battle of the Birds! The Ball State Cardinals head to Ypsilanti to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles as both teams look to snap two-game losing streaks.
After a loss to Western Michigan, the Cardinals will head to the other side of the state. Consistency hasn’t come easy for Ball State as it either gets mauled or dominates. Each Ball State game this season has had a difference of 18 points or more.
Eastern Michigan hasn’t had a ton of luck either. It nearly came out with a win against Central Michigan, and prior to that, got shut out by Jacksonville State. The Eagles will now look to get to .500 against a team that has historically had their number.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Eastern Michigan is as vanilla as a team can get. Junior quarterback Austin Smith is having a pretty mediocre season, completing 60% of his passes and averaging 128 yards per game. He's also thrown three interceptions.
None of Eastern Michigan's receivers have reached 200 yards, and their leading receivers — Tanner Knue and JB Mitchell III — average less than 10 yards per catch. As a result, the Eagles have the 129th-ranked passing attack.
The run game definitely has some pop to it, however. Even if it isn’t the best (81st in Rushing Success Rate), the Eagles have a decent committee. Smith is averaging 4.5 yards per carry and Jaylon Jackson and Samson Evans each average five yards per carry.
Based on EMU’s past games, I wouldn’t expect many big plays. This is one of the least explosive teams in the country and it generates very little Havoc.
Luckily, the defense has been somewhat of a saving grace. The run defense is nowhere to be found (though Joe Sparacio and Chase Kline have been incredibly efficient), but the Eagles have stopped the pass at a semi-decent rate.
The Eagles are ranked 18th in Explosiveness and 92nd in Havoc Allowed. But for passing plays, they’re 26th in Success Rate. The defensive back room has held its own throughout the season.
Ball State Cardinals
Layne Hatcher made his return to the Cardinals in a big way and threw for 316 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers last week.
Receiver Qian Magwood and tight end Tanner Koziol have received most of the volume, though they’re not big playmakers.
Because of that, Ball State ranks just 82nd in Passing Success Rate.
On the ground, the Cardinals aren’t much better. Redshirt junior Marquez Cooper has been a big part of the rushing attack, but only averages 4.3 yards per carry and has just one touchdown.
Ball State ranks ranks 125th in Rushing Success Rate and 120th in PPA, so there’s some work to be done.
The second-leading rusher is third-string quarterback Kiael Kelly, who’s often brought in as a wildcat option.
For a 1-4 team, the Cardinals are actually pretty solid at stopping the run (66th in Success Rate). However, stopping the pass is where they need help.
Tyler Potts is a solid option with two interceptions and Jordan Riley leads the defensive backs in tackles, but there’s a lack of a pass rush, which is a big reason why Ball State ranks 123rd in Havoc Allowed.
Eastern Michigan vs Ball State
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Eastern Michigan and Ball State match up statistically:
Eastern Michigan Offense vs. Ball State Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 80 | 64 | |
| Line Yards | 68 | 79 | |
| Pass Success | 130 | 101 | |
| Havoc | 116 | 123 | |
| Finishing Drives | 116 | 94 | |
| Quality Drives | 128 | 119 | |
Ball State Offense vs. Eastern Michigan Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 124 | 126 |  |
| Line Yards | 113 | 126 | |
| Pass Success | 75 | 53 | |
| Havoc | 131 | 98 | |
| Finishing Drives | 99 | 52 | |
| Quality Drives | 104 | 78 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 17 | 42 |
| PFF Coverage | 61 | 88 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 2 | 122 |
| Middle 8 | 113 | 116 |
| Seconds per Play | 30.7 (125) | 29.1 (107) |
| Rush Rate | 53.9% (84) | 51.2% (93) |
Eastern Michigan vs Ball State
Betting Pick & Prediction
Neither of these teams is spectacular, but both have shown their capabilities.
Ball State either puts up a ton of points or get slaughtered. There’s no in between.
Eastern Michigan is a bit different. Despite getting shut out two weeks ago, the Eagles redeemed themselves by making it close against Central Michigan.
Along with that, I have a lot more faith in the backfield of Jackson and Evans than I do in Ball State’s run defense.
I think the Eagles have the slight advantage, and I’m curious to see what version of the Cardinals show up. Until proven wrong, I’ll continue to bet against the Cardinals.
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