Two teams clinging to faint hopes of playing for the MAC championship meet when 7-3 Ball State battles 8-2 Ohio Wednesday night in Muncie (8 pm ET, ESPNU).

In the early betting the Cardinals, who have won four games in a row, were favored by 3.5 points over the Bobcats, who have lost two of their last three games.



View Ohio vs Ball State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Ball State were sitting as 3-point favorites earlier in the week at Sportsbook. The total was sitting around 63 earlier today at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction: The OddsShark Power Rankings have the Cardinals at No. 74 and the Bobcats at No. 45 heading into this contest. Handicapping models project a 41-32 result in favor of the Bobcats.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Ball State's No. 36-ranked offense, averaging 33.7 PPG, against a Bobcats defense that ranks No. 36 this week at 22.8 PPG. The Cardinals aerial game is averaging 271.7 yards per game, more than the Bobcats secondary allows through the air, 235.7 YPG per game.

Defensively, the Bobcats feature the league's No. 14-rated road run defense, allowing 100.5 yards per game. Ball State, meanwhile, ranks No. 38 in rushing offense at home.

Ohio was a 26-14 loser in its last match at home against Bowling Green. They failed to cover the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 40 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. The Bobcats suffered a Week 11 loss against Bowling Green in their last game, falling 26-14 at Peden Stadium.

Last time out for Ball State, they were a 34-27 Sportsbook as they battled Toledo on the road. Ball State covered in the match as a 6.5-point underdog, while 61 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Toledo was unable to contain Jahwan Edwards in its last action Tuesday and the result was a 34-27 Week 11 loss against the Cardinals.


Ohio Bobcats Trends:
When playing in November are 8-2
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 7-3

Ball State Cardinals Trends:
When playing in November are 5-5
When playing on turf are 7-3
After being outgained are 5-5
When playing within the conference are 5-5

A few Bobcats at Cardinals trends to consider:
Ohio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Ohio is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ohio's last 5 games on the road
Ohio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Ball State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ball State's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Ball State's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Ball State's last 14 games at home


Next up:
Ohio at Kent State, Friday, November 23
Ball State at Miami (Ohio), Friday, November 23