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Western Michigan at Ball State Football Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

After finishing fourth or worse in the six-team MAC West each of his first four seasons as head coach, Brady Hoke finally broke through in 2007 when the Cardinals tied for the West title. Now it appears that the Cards are on their way to surpassing last season’s success. A win over Western Michigan on Tuesday night would give the Cardinals the outright West title with an 8-0 conference record to earn them a spot in the MAC championship game with East champ Buffalo. The 11-0 Ball State Cardinals are listed as 11-point favorites at Bookmaker.

While Ball State was very much a pass-first team behind NFL-caliber QB Nate Davis early in the season, the Cardinals have added a strong running game to keep defenses even more off balance. Tailback MiQuale Lewis has now rushed for 100 yards or more in nine of 11 games this season and is coming off a career-high 177-yard performance against Central Michigan on November 19th. While the offense gets all the glory, it has been the improvement of the defense from last season to this season that has made the Cards an elite team. Ball State ranks first in the MAC in scoring defense, allowing only 16.2 ppg, and third in total defense, giving up only 352.6 ypg. The Cards have not allowed a team to score more than 24 points in a game this season which has helped them win their first 11 games by 20 points on average. If you like the Cards to extend their winning streak and cover the number in the process, bet Ball State at -11 at Bookmaker and receive a 20% cash sign up bonus.

Western Michigan will be playing with nothing to lose Tuesday night as it looks to pull off the upset over unbeaten Ball State to give itself at least a share of the MAC West title. The Broncos have plenty to play for. A win would give them 10 wins in a season for the first time in school history. As I mentioned above, a win would also give the Broncos at least a share of the MAC West and a shot at the MAC title game. Oh yeah, and a win would also give Western Michigan the distinction of being the only team to beat the Cards this season. Ball State should no better than to overlook the Broncos who have beat a solid Iowa team last season, to ruin bowl hopes for the Hawkeyes, and a solid Illinois team this season.

Everyone talks about Ball State’s passing attack but it is actually Western Michigan’s that is leading the league. QB Tim Hiller and his trio of top receivers will look to do what no other team has been able to do this season by putting constant pressure on the Ball State secondary. Defensively, the Broncos have a strong defensive backfield to try to slow down the Ball State passing attack. This unit is the most respected in the league but likely will not be able to gamble as much as it would like or Nate Davis will make it pay. If you think the Broncos have what it takes to pull of the big upset, bet Western Michigan at +11 at Bookmaker.

Jimmy Boyd was 7-4 with his Week 12 NCAA football picks, profiting dime players $10,000. Make sure you’re on board for an even bigger week of beating the football odds. Do all of your college football betting with Jimmy B. this week and watch your bankroll skyrocket!

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Written by Jimmy Boyd on November 24, 2008 · Filed Under College Football Betting Articles, News & Previews

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