Kent State vs Ball State: Week 12 Mid-American Betting Picks & Preview

Kent State Golden Flashes (1-9 SU, ATS 1-7-1) vs Ball State Cardinals (3-7 SU, ATS 4-4-1)

Date: Saturday, November 18th

Location: Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN

TV: ESPN+

Point Spread: KSU +12/BSU -12

Money Line: Kent St. +375/Ball St. -519

Over/Under: 42

The Kent State Golden Flashes and Ball State Cardinals matchup in a Mid-American showdown at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, IN. The over/under for this matchup is currently 42, while Ball State is favored by -12.

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Head-to-Head Matchup:

The last time Ball State and Kent State faced off came last year, ending in a 27-20 win for Ball State. The Cardinals ran the ball well in the win, rushing for 196 on 38 attempts. On the other side, the Golden Flashes ran for 225 yards and threw for 183.

Kent State Golden Flashes Recent Form:

With an overall record of 1-9, Kent State is prepared for this game. Unfortunately, their most recent performance resulted in a loss to Bowling Green, with a score of 49-19.

Looking at the over/under in this matchup, the line was 41.5 and with their 68 points, the over hit. Against the spread, Kent State went into the game as 10.5-point underdogs, giving them an ATS and straight-up loss.

In the loss to Bowling Green, quarterback Tommy Ulatowski concluded with a QB rating of 77.5 while connecting on 23 of 40 passes for 284 yards. Moreover, he contributed one touchdown to the game.

The top rusher for Kent State against Bowling Green was Jaylen Thomas. He gained 73 rushing yards and scored one time in 18 attempts. In the passing game, Luke Floriea finished with a team-high 95 receiving yards while averaging 10.6 yards per reception.

On defense, Kent State finished their game against Bowling Green by giving up a total of 480 yards. Bowling Green threw the ball 23 times for 286 vs. Kent State. While on the ground, the Golden Flashes gave up 194 rushing yards. Ranked 104th in passing yards allowed per game, Kent State’s defense gets ready to take on Ball State. Opponents have attempted an average of 28 passes per game against the Golden Flashes. They’re allowing 34.4 points per contest, placing them 137th in college football. Their rush defense ranks 105th in the NCAA.

Away Injury Report

Ball State Cardinals Recent Form:

As Ball State prepares to take on Kent State, they have a record of 3-7. The Cardinals most recently took down Northern Illinois by a score of 20-17.

Ball State was the underdog at +9.5, giving them an ATS and straight-up win. The under hit in the game with the over/under line set at 43.5 points.

In Ball State’s most recent win, Kiael Kelly not only threw for one touchdown but ran for one as well. For the game, he threw for a total of 115 yards while completing 60.0% of his passes.

Marquez Cooper carried the ball 25 times vs. Northern Illinois and led the team with 93 yards on the ground and did not run for a touchdown in the game. Ball State’s most productive receiver in the game was Ahmad Edwards, who finished with 32 on five receptions.

On defense, Ball State finished their game against Northern Illinois by giving up a total of 315 yards. Northern Illinois threw the ball 26 times for 141 vs. Ball State. While on the ground, the Cardinals gave up 174 rushing yards. This season, the Cardinals’ defense has allowed 127.7 rushing yards per contest, placing them 160th. Opponents are averaging 221.3 passing yards, and opposing quarterbacks hold a passer rating of 94.3 when facing Ball State. They currently hold the 42nd spot in NCAA points allowed.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• When playing on the road, Kent State has an ATS mark of 0-2-1 vs. the spread.
• Ball State’s ATS record at home (last ten) is 6-3-1.
• Ball State is 5-4-1 in their last ten games as underdogs.
• Looking back on the last three times Kent State was favored, their ATS record was 2-1.

Free Pick

The Kent State offense has looked better with Tommy Ulatowski at QB, but he the competition hasn’t been much. The Golden Flashes have allowed opponents to score 34 points per game this season, but the big scores were by teams that can throw the ball and that’s not something that the Cardinals do well ranking near the bottom of the league in many passing metrics. Ball State does play good defense especially in their last five, allowing 315 yards or fewer in all five games. Take the Under 42. Don’t forget to get the rest of our Week 12 college football picks!