The Ball State Cardinals have been involved in close battles of late, as six of their last nine games have been decided by seven points or fewer. They've lost five of their last six contests, with the last four defeats being by a total of 15 points. The Cardinals look to be on the winning side of a tight result when they host the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Wednesday evening. Kickoff from Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Ind. is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Ball State (0-1) suffered its most recent one-possession loss last Wednesday as it began its 2020 campaign with a 38-31 setback at Miami (Ohio). Eastern Michigan (0-1) also was involved in a close contest last week as it dropped a 27-23 decision at Kent State in its season opener. The Cardinals are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 61.5. Before making any Eastern Michigan vs. Ball State picks, check out the college football predictions for MACtion from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,900 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is a sizzling 37-20 on top-rated picks through 10 weeks of the 2020 college football season, returning over $900 in profit already. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Eastern Michigan vs. Ball State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds from William Hill and trends for Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan:
- Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan spread: Cardinals -8.5
- Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan over-under: 61.5 points
- Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan money line: Cardinals -330, Eagles +260
- BALL: The Cardinals are 2-4 against the spread in their last six games
- EMU: The Eagles are 4-2 ATS in their last six contests against Ball State
Why Ball State can cover
Drew Plitt picked up where he left off last year as he threw for 309 yards in the loss to the RedHawks. The senior quarterback recorded four 300-yard performances in 2019, including the season finale - also versus Miami, and missed hitting the mark by two yards in another contest. Plitt was superb in leading the Cardinals to a 29-23 road victory over the Eagles last year, completing 23-of-32 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns while also running for a pair of scores.
One of Plitt's TD tosses went to Justin Hall, who hauled in 11 passes for 109 yards in the triumph. The senior wide receiver also was impressive against the RedHawks last Wednesday as he made four catches for 124 yards and a TD while rushing twice for 17 yards and a score. Plitt found another reliable weapon in Antwan Davis, as the senior wideout registered his first career 100-yard effort by gaining 110 on six receptions.
Why Eastern Michigan can cover
The Eagles' ground attack never got going last Wednesday, but the team enjoyed success through the air. Junior quarterback Preston Hutchinson was 21-of-35 for 241 yards and threw a pair of touchdown passes. Nine of Hutchinson's completions were to Hassan Beydoun, who turned them into 112 yards. The junior wide receiver, who ended last season with nine catches for 113 yards in the Quick Lane Bowl, became the first Eagle to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving performances since Dieuly Aristilde in 2016. In last year's loss to Ball State, Beydoun hauled in three passes for 41 yards.
In addition, Eastern Michigan is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven games as an underdog. Ball State, meanwhile, is just 1-6 against the spread in its last seven games played on a Wednesday.
How to make Eastern Michigan vs. Ball State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total. In fact, it says Huntley rushes for over 100 yards and one touchdown. It also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Ball State vs. Eastern Michigan? And which side of the spread cashes in nearly 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Eastern Michigan vs. Ball State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $3,900 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
