The Eagles hope to be bad hosts on Saturday as the Cardinals pay a visit to Rynearson Stadium in Week 4 betting action.

They bring a 1-2 record (1-2 ATS) to the Week 4 battle against the 2-1 Cardinals, who are 2-1 ATS against the spread. Over under bettors have seen Eastern Michigan go 2-1 so far and the Cardinals go 2-1.



View Ball State vs Eastern Michigan Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Eastern Michigan were sitting as 8-point underdogs earlier in the week at Sportsbook. The total was to be set a bit later in the week for over under betting purposes.

Power Rankings / Prediction: The Eagles - Cardinals odds would favor the Eagles if the lines were set according to power ranks. Eastern Michigan is rated No. 88 in our latest OddsShark poll, while the Cardinals sit at No. 113. Math models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 42-13 win for the Cardinals.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Eastern Michigan's No. 110-ranked offense (17 PPG) against a Cardinals defense that ranks No. 67 at 25.3 PPG. The Eagles passing attack has averaged 222.3 yards per game, more than the Cardinals give up through the air (210.7 YPG on average).

In comparing defenses, the Cardinals own the league's No. 79-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 231 yards per game when on the road. Eastern Michigan, on the other hand, rates No. 76 this week in generating rushing yards at home.

In their last action, Ball State was a 34-27 loser on the road against North Texas. They failed to cover the 3-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (61) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Keith Wenning's 333-yard performance through the air wasn't enough last time out, as North Texas earned a 34-27 win over Ball State on Saturday at Apogee Stadium.

Eastern Michigan was a 28-10 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Rutgers. They covered the 28-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (38) made winners of UNDER bettors. In Eastern Michigan's last outing, Tyler Benz threw for 335 yards in a losing cause against the Scarlet Knights, 28-10 at High Point Solutions Stadium.


Ball State Cardinals Trends:
When playing in September are 6-4
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 6-4

Eastern Michigan Eagles Trends:
When playing in September are 2-8
When playing on turf are 3-7
After outgaining opponent are 3-7
When playing within the conference are 1-9

A few Cardinals at Eagles trends to consider:
Ball State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Eastern Michigan
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Ball State's last 7 games when playing Eastern Michigan
Ball State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Eastern Michigan
Ball State is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Eastern Michigan's last 7 games when playing Ball State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Eastern Michigan's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Eastern Michigan's last 5 games when playing at home against Ball State
Eastern Michigan is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Ball State


Next up:
Ball State home to Toledo, Saturday, September 28
Eastern Michigan at Buffalo, Saturday, October 5