The Ohio Bobcats take on the Ball State Cardinals in Muncie, Indiana. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Ohio is favored by -14.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -650. The total is set at 51 points.
Here’s my Ohio vs. Ball State prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 4, 2025.
Ohio vs Ball State Prediction
- Ohio vs. Ball State Pick: Ball State +14.5
My Ball State vs. Ohio best bet is on the Cardinals to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Ohio vs Ball State Odds
| Ohio Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14.5 -110 | 51 -110o / -110u | -650 |
| Ball State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14.5 -110 | 51 -110o / -110u | +475 |
- Ohio vs Ball State point spread: Ohio -14.5
- Ohio vs Ball State over/under: 51 points
- Ohio vs Ball State moneyline: Ohio -650, Ball State +475
Ohio vs Ball State Preview
Ohio Bobcats Betting Preview: Recent Defensive Struggles Outshine Early Success
Ohio has really grabbed some momentum this season based on its play against Power 4-level competition.
We all saw Parker Navarro dazzle the Rutgers defense on national TV, and Ohio followed that up by defeating West Virginia at home. After that, the Bobcats went toe-to-toe with Ohio State for a half and were down by only seven points halfway through the third quarter.
The concern for Ohio is its defense, especially after the Ohio State game. The unit was shredded by Gardner-Webb, allowing 480 total yards, 35 points and 7.8 yards per play. Ohio gave up several explosive plays and fell behind early before eventually taking control.
Against Bowling Green, Ohio was very fortunate to secure timely turnovers or it would've been in trouble — the Falcons were able to move the ball up and down the field with regularity.
Ball State Cardinals Betting Preview: Count on Improved Offense to Make Difference
Ball State has played much more competitive football in recent weeks, including a win against New Hampshire and losing by just six points at UConn.
The Cardinals have received much better quarterback play from Kiael Kelly, who's thrown four touchdown passes over his last two outings.
The ground game has been more effective as well, with Kelly and Qua Ashley leading the charge by totaling four rushing touchdowns.
This Ball State group underwent a significant offensive scheme change in the offseason, and we saw it take some time to get the kinks worked out. By now, we've seen some improvement, and I expect Ball State to be a tougher out in MAC play.
Defensively, Ball State has struggled much of the way this year, as this team hasn't been able to stop the pass very well. The secondary is young and has been out of position this year, but the coverage unit has shown some incremental improvement in recent weeks.
Stopping the run will be important against Ohio and going forward in MAC play, where we've seen many of the teams in this league shift to run-oriented offenses.
Ohio vs Ball State Pick, Betting Analysis
Situationally, this lines up well for Ball State, which is coming off of a bye week and has had a chance now to regroup and get healthy.
Ohio is playing for a sixth straight week, and we've already seen some of the MAC favorites go on the road in conference play for the first time and really struggle with inferior competition.
I played Ball State +14.5, which is currently available over at DraftKings, at the time of writing.
Ball State is going to attempt to out-possess you with the football and run it whenever possible. I like what I've seen with the rushing attack in recent weeks, and Ohio’s front seven is starting to play like the inexperienced group we thought we were going to see this season.
Ohio has given up over five yards per carry in each of the last three weeks, and the Bobcats rank just 91st nationally in Rush Play Explosiveness given up.
I think Ball State can pass the ball a little bit and extend drives through the air. We've seen Kelly improve as a passer in recent weeks, and Ohio has a secondary that's given up some pass yards this season.
Ohio ranks 94th overall in Defensive Pass Play Success Rate allowed and 112th in Defensive Havoc. Kelly should have time to throw the ball and he's always a threat to take off with his legs and create plays on the ground.
We know Ohio is likely to have success offensively, and Navarro has shown why he's considered one of the more elite quarterbacks in MAC play.
The offensive line for Ohio has given up some negative plays, and the Bobcats are 112th overall in Offensive Havoc surrendered this year.
Ball State has secured 11 sacks this year, including five against Auburn, and I would expect this defensive line to provide a little pressure on Navarro.
PFF has Ball State graded as the best pass rush unit in the MAC and in the upper-half in team tackling grades. I think the Cardinals can do enough to cause Ohio problems, especially with two weeks to prepare.
We know Ohio is the better of the two teams, but there's a case to be made about going on the road in league play for the first time. We saw Buffalo nearly get upset by Kent State, and we saw Toledo get taken down by Western Michigan.
I'm not going to call for the outright upset here, but I believe Ball State will keep this game tight into the fourth quarter.
Pick: Ball State +14.5
