Ball State Cardinals at Akron Zips: Betting Guide

Akron has won the last two matchups, its only victories since winning the first-ever meeting in 2004. The two teams have split the four games they’ve played against each other in Akron, Ohio.

Ball State Cardinals

Next game: at Northern Illinois

Last Game

The Cardinals couldn’t hold a fourth-quarter lead against the visiting Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, falling 24-17 on Oct. 23. Ball State took a 17-16 lead midway through the third quarter on Drew Plitt’s four-yard touchdown pass to Jayshon Jackson, but Miami scored early in the fourth and held on for the win.

Plitt finished 22 of 34 for 227 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception on the final drive of the game to seal the loss. Jackson had eight receptions for 121 yards, but the Cardinals were undone by their two turnovers while the RedHawks didn’t commit one.

Ball State fell to 3-5 against the spread, snapping a three-game winning streak ATS. The Cardinals are 2-2 against the spread when playing on the road.

Injury Report

The Cardinals don’t have any notable injuries heading into their Tuesday night affair with the Zips.

Akron Zips

Next game: at Western Michigan

Last Game

Turnovers were a major problem for Akron in a 45-10 home loss to the Buffalo Bulls on Oct. 23 in one of the bigger blowouts of the NCAA week. The Zips had four turnovers, compared to just one for the Bulls.

Jonzell Norrils was a bright spot, rushing 11 times for 155 yards and a 74-yard touchdown that pulled Akron within 17-10 in the second quarter. But Buffalo, which racked up 484 yards of total offense, scored the final 28 points to turn the contest into a rout.

The loss dropped the Zips to 3-5 against the spread as they failed to cover the 13-point spread at home. Akron has won just once ATS at home in 2021.

Injury Report

Quarterback DJ Irons should continue to be the starter for Akron after he returned to action against Buffalo. He finished 5 of 13 for 66 yards, and the hope is that the 10-day break between games helps him recover more from the injury that kept him out earlier in the season..

Betting on the Game

This one could get ugly quick, hence the 19½-point spread. Akron has had trouble stopping any opponent, allowing 38.9 points per game to rank last in the Mid-American Conference.

Ball State isn’t exactly the greatest offensive team in the conference, ranking eighth with its 24.5-ppg average. But the Cardinals went for 38 and 45 points in their last two road games, topping Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan, respectively.

Still, a point spread of nearly three touchdowns seems a little difficult for Ball State to reach. Just one of the Cardinals’ victories has been by more than 12 points.

The over/under number of 578 is also seemingly a little too much. At their averages, these two teams combine for 44.4 points per game. Akron’s defense will certainly help the Cardinals get a few more points, but 58 seems a bit high when you’re making your college football picks on the Tuesday contests.

Final Score: Ball State 31, Akron 17