MAC: Ball State vs NIU 10/1/22 College Football Picks, Predictions, Odds
NIU Huskies (1-3) vs. Ball State Cardinals (1-3)
October 1, 2022 2:00 pm EDT
The Line: Ball State Cardinals +3 / NIU Huskies -3 ; Over/Under:
(Get latest betting odds)
The Ball State Cardinals and NIU Huskies clash Saturday in week 5 MAC college football action from Scheumann Stadium. The Huskies are fresh off a matchup versus Kentucky. In that one NIU lost by eight. As for Ball State, they played Georgia Southern over the weekend. The Cardinals ended up losing by 11 points. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place.
NIU opened up the year with a matchup versus Eastern Illinois, ultimately taking a fairly close win 34-27. Game two against Tulsa was a tough loss, as NIU ended up falling 38-35. Likewise with game three against Vanderbilt, as the Huskies lost 38-28.
Over the weekend versus Kentucky, Northern Illinois had it all tied up 14-14 by halftime but couldn’t keep it going in a 31-23 defeat. QB Ethan Hampton put up 196 yards with a score, and Harrison Waylee finished with 63 yards on 18 carries.
Over on the Ball State side, they got an unenviable matchup in their opener this year and ended up falling to Tennessee 59-10. The Cardinals took on Western Michigan in game two and fell 37-30, but bounced back with a big 31-0 blowout win over Murray State the next week.
In the Georgia Southern game, Ball State had a 20-20 tie going into the fourth quarter and ultimately fell 34-23. QB John Paddock finished with 338 yards, two scores and a pick. Carson Steele added 119 yards on 23 carries to lead the rush.
PICK: I’m probably staying with NIU, but not touching this game. The Huskies didn’t do too badly against a good Kentucky team over the weekend, all things considered. NIU had 327 yards total with 5.5 yards per play and 14 first downs in the eight-point loss. The Huskies have done well on offense for the most part this year, but they can’t keep teams from scoring very well.
As for Ball State, they managed 496 total yards with 6.1 yards per play and 25 first downs in the loss to Georgia Southern. This next matchup seems like it’ll be a higher-scoring affair, and I don’t know if the Cardinals can keep the pace.
