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Ball State Cardinals play at Ohio Bobcats in college football on Tuesday, November 17, at Peden Stadium. As of 7:51 AM ET, Ohio are 8.5-point favorites and the total is 49.5. Prices come from 3 sportsbooks we track. The Desk leans Ohio -8.5. A prediction is an estimate from the market and the matchup, not a certain result.
Prices updated · from 3 sportsbooks · college football betting splits
Kalshi and ProphetX list this game, but not enough has traded yet to show the buyers (we show markets with at least 10 trades and $500 traded).
Polymarket US lists moneyline for this game. No trade split yet for these markets (none captured, or too few to show), so they show prices only. Polymarket US is a separate venue from Polymarket (international) and is never added into its numbers.
| Market | Ball State Cardinals | Ohio Bobcats |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +265Bet at FanDuel → | -335Bet at FanDuel → |
| Spread | +8.5 -110Bet at FanDuel → | -8.5 -110Bet at FanDuel → |
| Total 49.5 | O -110Bet at FanDuel → | U -110Bet at FanDuel → |
As of 7:51 AM ET, the spread is Ohio -8.5 and the total is 49.5, with 3 sportsbooks priced and the table showing each book's own number.
| Sportsbook | Ball State ML | Ohio ML | Ball State spread | Ohio spread | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | +265 | -335 | +8.5 -110 | -8.5 -110 | O 49.5 -110 | U 49.5 -110 |
| Novig | +233 | -413 | +8.5 -138 | -8.5 -133 | – | – |
| ProphetX | – | – | – | – | O 49.5 -130 | U 49.5 -109 |
Prices from 3 sportsbooks we track, updated . Prices move, so check the book before you bet.
Ball State Cardinals11th in the Mid-American ConferenceOhio Bobcats4th in the Mid-American Conference
Nick Poulos (OHIO)90/157, 1,171 YDS, 8 TD, 1 INT (7 GP)
Keldric Luster (BALL)170/277, 1,618 YDS, 10 TD, 6 INT (9 GP)Ohio is laying 8.5 points to a Ball State team that has covered six of its 10 graded games this season. Covering means beating the point spread, which we explain below. That is the whole fight Tuesday night: a better team at home against an underdog that keeps beating the number. The Ball State Cardinals visit the Ohio Bobcats at Peden Stadium at 7:00 PM ET on CBSSN. The forecast is calm, 43 degrees, zero wind and a 0% chance of rain. Nothing outside will bend this game.
Ohio is, clearly. As of November 12, Ohio is 7-3 and sits 4th of 13 in the Mid-American Conference. Ball State is 3-7 and 11th of 13. This is a conference game, and in the last meeting, 409 days ago, Ohio lost. Ball State gets 5 days of rest and travels 185 miles from home. Ohio gets 6 days of rest and comes 142 miles back from its last game in Oxford. Neither team changes time zones.
The per-game averages over 10 games tell the story. Ohio gains 369.5 yards a game and allows 342. Ball State gains 337.5 and allows 418.8, including 192 rushing yards per game. Ohio runs for 185.2 per game. PPA, or predicted points added, measures how much each play moves a team toward scoring. Ohio's offense adds 0.17 points per play and its defense allows 0.05. Ball State's offense adds 0.08 and its defense allows 0.23. That defensive gap is big.
Ohio quarterback Nick Poulos has played 7 of his team's 10 games, going 90 of 157 for 1,171 yards, 8 touchdowns and 1 interception. Per game, that is 167.3 passing yards and 0.1 interceptions. Over his last five games he is up to 198.2 passing yards and 48.2 rushing yards per game. Ball State's Keldric Luster has played 9 games, going 170 of 277 for 1,618 yards, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Per game, that is 179.8 passing yards and 0.7 interceptions. Over his last five he averages 191.2 passing and 51.6 rushing yards per game. Per game, the passing is close. The interception rate is not.
The moneyline is a bet on who wins outright. Ohio is -335, so a $100 bet profits $29.85 if Ohio wins and loses $100 if not. That needs a 77% win rate to break even. Ball State is +265, so $100 profits $265.00 on a win, with a 27.4% break-even. The spread evens the teams out with points. Ohio -8.5 wins only if Ohio wins by 9 or more, and an 8-point win loses.
Ball State +8.5 wins if Ball State wins or loses by 8 or fewer. There is no push at a half point. Both sides are -110, which means risking $100 to profit $90.91, a 52.4% break-even. The total, or over/under, is 49.5 combined points, also -110 each way. That extra cost above even money is the vig, the book's built-in fee. Every best price here sits at FanDuel. Always shop the number.
Expected value is your average result per bet over many tries, and both moneylines lean negative here. Our rating has Ohio at 83%, but that is context, not an edge. No no-vig spread figure is available, so any spread lean is a matchup opinion that must clear 52.4%. The warning sign: Ohio is 3-5 against the spread as a favorite, and Ball State is 4-3 as an underdog.
We lean Ohio -8.5 at -110 on FanDuel, a matchup lean that needs to hit 52.4%. Ohio's run game gets 185.2 yards a game and Ball State allows 192. Ball State's defense gives up 0.23 points per play. We respect the ATS record, but the trenches drive this Ohio spread read.
Ohio 30, Ball State 17. That adds to 47 points, under the 49.5 total, but Ball State games went over in 7 of 10, so we pass on the total. Ohio wins by 13 on the ground. That is our read on this number, and the Desk's documented free play for the day sits right below if you want the next step.
Ohio is the market favorite at -335 (best price at FanDuel) on the moneyline, with Ball State at +265. Lines move all day, so check the odds table on this page for the current best number at every book.
The Ball State Cardinals at Ohio Bobcats game airs on CBSSN. Kickoff is Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 PM ET from Peden Stadium, with a forecast of 43 degrees, no wind and a 0% chance of precipitation.
Ohio is the favorite at -335 on the moneyline, with Ball State the underdog at +265, both best at FanDuel. On the point spread, Ohio is -8.5 and Ball State is +8.5, each at -110. With the vig removed, the moneyline implies about 73.8% Ohio and 26.2% Ball State.
Ball State vs Ohio kicks off Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET at Peden Stadium. The game is a Mid-American Conference matchup in Week 12 of the regular season and will be televised on CBSSN.
Ohio's run game meets a Ball State defense that gives up 192 rushing yards a game, and we lean Ohio -8.5 at -110 on FanDuel as a matchup read. The full read, including a projected final score, is in The Prediction section above.
The total is 49.5, with the over priced at -110 at FanDuel and the under at -110 at FanDuel. A total is a bet on the combined score of both teams, over or under that number, no matter who wins.
Yes. This is a free Wise Guy Desk breakdown, our analysis, not Ross's official plays. Ross's documented plays are bet with real money and graded win or loss on the members board.
Expected value first: the best price across the regulated US books we track versus the true fair price with the vig removed, then the matchup data (form, standings, injuries, key players). Line shopping for the best number is the edge most bettors leave on the table.
More for this game: College football betting splits · DraftKings betting splits · college football odds · FanDuel betting splits
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