Two of the nation's top offensive players will display their talents when the Ohio Bobcats visit the Ball State Cardinals in a MACtion matchup on Tuesday. In the midst of a five-game winning streak, Ohio (7-3, 5-1 MAC) is led by junior quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who is seventh in the country with 3,087 passing yards. Meanwhile, sophomore running back Carson Steele has recorded 1,280 rushing yards for Ball State (5-5, 3-3) to rank fourth nationally. The Cardinals are 15-11 in the all-time series but have lost six of the last eight meetings, including the last three.
Kickoff at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Ind. is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Bobcats are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Ohio vs. Ball State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 57. Before locking in any Ball State vs. Ohio picks or MACtion predictions, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio vs. Ball State and locked in its MACtion picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the odds and college football betting lines for Ball State vs. Ohio:
- Ohio vs. Ball State spread: Bobcats -3.5
- Ohio vs. Ball State over/under: 57 points
- Ohio vs. Ball State money line: Bobcats -178, Cardinals +150
- OHIO: The Bobcats are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games
- BSU: The Cardinals are 1-5 ATS in their last six contests against teams with winning records
- Ohio vs. Ball State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Ohio can cover
Rourke posted his second straight 300-yard performance and sixth overall this season in last week's 37-21 triumph at Miami (Ohio), completing 25-of-35 attempts for 362 yards. He made three touchdown tosses in the win, giving him 10 over his last three outings and 24 on the year. Junior wide receiver Jacoby Jones hauled in two of the scoring passes to increase his season total to five TDs.
Sophomore wideout Miles Cross came up with his first 100-yard effort last week, making six catches for 133 yards, but senior Sam Wiglusz has been Rourke's top target in 2022 as he leads the Bobcats with 59 catches, 714 yards and nine touchdown receptions. On the ground, Sieh Bangura has rushed 127 times for 640 yards and eight scores. The redshirt freshman set a career high last week with 145 yards and ran for a touchdown while also posting a 27-yard TD reception.
Why Ball State can cover
Steele has been a force for the Cardinals' ground attack, posting five consecutive 100-yard performances and eight in 10 games this season. The sophomore running back set a career high last week with 198 yards on 28 carries and had three rushing touchdowns for the third time in 2022. Steele has run for 390 yards over his last two contests and has 1,280 overall to rank fourth in the country.
After allowing at least 34 points in four of their first five games this year, the Cardinals have improved defensively. They have yielded an average of 21 points over their last five contests, the second-fewest in the conference during that span. Ball State has registered 34 tackles for loss in that time frame, including 15 sacks.
How to make Ball State vs. Ohio picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Ohio vs. Ball State? And which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the advanced model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
