NCAA Football Betting Odds – Ball State at Auburn

BetOnline NCAA Football Betting Odds: AUBURN -33.5, Total 54

We placed some faith in Ball State last week against Army, and though they did not fail us, covering by the slimmest of margins, they did not exactly impress. The Cardinals certainly have sunk a bit since the departure of Nate Davis, although it can be reasonably said that they were on the decline even before that. Ball State was undefeated, as you may recall, going into the MAC championship game against Buffalo, then they got soundly thrashed by Turner Gill’s club 42-24 before going down to debilitating defeat in the GMAC Bowl to Tulsa (45-13).

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

• BALL has won 12 of its last 17 games SU
• BALL has lost its last five games SU
• BALL has won and covered six of its last eight road games
• BALL has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total
• AUB has covered four of its last five games
• AUB has won four of its last six games SU
• AUB has won four of its last five home games SU

Ball State has managed to hang in there in its three games thus far, but has lost all three of them. You can’t really lay a lot of blame on the defense, which brought back its entire front line, but there has not been enough generated on the offensive side to overcome North Texas, New Hampshire (an FCS School) and Army.

Kelly Page, who followed David into the starting role at quarterback, has struggled, to put it mildly, completing just 46% of his passes with five interceptions. You’d have to think he’s going to struggle even more against a fast and aggressive Auburn defense that has only benefited this year from the insertion of Gene Chizik as head coach and Ted Roof as defensive coordinator.

A testament to that is the five West Virginia passes they intercepted last weekend. MiQuale Lewis, the running back who ran for 1736 yards last season, has a TOTAL of only 141 in three games for the Cardinals, and one would have to believe that the threat of the sharp, big-play strikes of Davis may have had a lot to do with his being able to find opening in opposing defensive lines.

We hate to lay this many points, but this does not look like a favorable matchup in any sense for Ball State. Auburn has played three legitimate Division I programs, and scored an average of more than 42 points a game.

With a deep rushing attack headed by Ben Tate (5.9 ypc) and freshman Ontario McCalebb (6.1 ypc) they should have their way with a Cardinal front that may be a veteran bunch, but will be worn down from so much time on the field.

We’re laying the points with Auburn, the 33.5-point favorite in the BetOnline NCAA college football betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: AUBURN -33.5 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)