Navy Midshipmen at Ball State Cardinals

The Ball State Cardinals (1-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) in an NCAA football contest that is scheduled for a 7 PM ET kickoff on Friday at Scheumann Stadium (artificial turf) in Muncie, IN.

Friday, September 5

BetUS NCAA Betting Odds: BALL STATE -7

Here are some of the NCAA betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* NAVY has won five of its last six games SU

* NAVY has covered 15 of its last 19 road games

* NAVY has won 10 of its last 13 road games SU

* NAVY has played six of its last seven road games OVER the total

* BALL has won four of its last five home games SU

* BALL has played five of its last six games UNDER the total

This looms as a great matchup, for several reasons: we know that this game features two teams who made it into a bowl game last year; they employ conflicting styles of play, and they can put a lot of points on the board.

It probably surprised no one casually observing this Navy team that it did not change very much from its successful formula of last year. Head coach Paul Johnson left for Georgia Tech, but his assistant, Ken Niumatalolo, took over the program, and kept this team in option mode. In the season opener, it was business as usual, as the Middies ran for 558 yards (a mammoth 348 of them by Shun White) in rolling to a 41-13 win over Towson. Navy QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (that's the only time we'll say that in full), sat out that game with a hamstring pull and is going to be held out of this one too. Jarod Bryant started for him in the opener, running for 75 yards and completing just two passes (although one of them was for a touchdown).

Ball State's Nate Davis may not be considered by most to be the best quarterback in the Mid-American Conference (Dan LeFevour of Central Michigan may hold that distinction), but he certainly ranks among the top 12-15 in the country. Davis tossed 30 TD passes with only six interceptions last year, and in the season opener, he was surgically precise, completing 21 of 24 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns in the 48-14 win over Northeastern. In last year's meeting, a 34-31 Ball State overtime win, he passed for 277 yards. How many times do the Middies get to practice against someone so adept?

But let's talk about what makes the Midshipmen a viable dog here; namely the fact that Navy travels well, whether it be by land, sea or air, winning ten of its last 13 road games straight-up and covering 15 of their last 19. And Ball State, which returned only two defensive line starters this year, was 106th in the nation in stopping the run, giving up five yards a carry and 204 yards a game. Emotion also works for Navy, as it is chomping at the bit for this revenge game after blowing a shot to win it at the final gun last time around.

Let's go with Navy, the seven-point underdog in the BetUS NCAA college football betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: NAVY +7 ***
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

The 2008 NCAA bowl games and beyond!

(Charles Jay of http://www.ebookies.com gives it more than the old college try as a contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)