Ball State Cardinals vs Northwestern Wildcats Prediction, 10/10/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Ball State Cardinals vs Northwestern Wildcats

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026

Location: Ryan Field in Evanston, IL

TV: BTN

Odds/Point Spread: Wildcats (-36.5)

Total/Over-Under: 51.5

Ryan Field is the site where the Northwestern Wildcats (3-1) will try to defeat the Ball State Cardinals (1-4) on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Ball State opens this matchup as 36.5-point underdogs. The total is set at 51.5.

The Ball State Cardinals come into this matchup with a record of 1-4 this season. In their last game, the Cardinals played against the Toledo Rockets and took a loss by a score of 39-24. The Ball State Cardinals ended up rushing 27 different times and totaled 132 yards, which is an average of 4.9 yds per attempt. On the day, they ran 62 plays for 370 yards. Ball State surrendered 19 completions on 35 attempts for a total of 201 yards, and a completion percentage of 54.3%. When it came to the battle of the line of scrimmage, the Cardinals conceded 352 yards on 51 attempts, which calculates to 6.9 yards per rush allowed.

When talking about getting in the endzone, the Ball State Cardinals are averaging 19.2 points per contest. As a team they average 121.0 yards rushing ranking them 115th in the country. The Cardinals have attained 1,476 total yards for the season. When it comes to notching touchdowns, Ball State has earned 6 touchdowns through the air and 6 rushing touchdowns. Ball State has recorded 83 first downs offensively, and they have been called for 36 penalties for 316 yds. They have given the ball to the opposition 5 different times.

The Cardinals sit in 132nd in Division 1 when it comes to team defense, giving up 37.8 points per game. They are allowing an average of 5.8 yards per rushing attempt and 229.8 rushing yards per contest so far this year. During this campaign, they have allowed 1,149 rushing yards through 5 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Cardinals have allowed 1,219 yds which has them sitting in 112th in college football. They have allowed 243.8 yards per contest via the pass and giving up a completion percentage of 66.2%. For the season, they are conceding 473.6 yards per outing which ranks them 135th in the country. They have yielded 12 touchdowns by air and 12 touchdowns via the ground game.

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The Wildcats come into this game with a record of 3-1 this season. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Wildcats took home the win by a final score of 34-13 when they faced the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Wildcats finished the game with a total of 506 yards on 69 plays (7.3 yards per play). Northwestern ran for 7.5 yards per attempt, finishing with 413 yards on 55 carries. Northwestern gave up 22 run attempts for 48 yards (2.2 yds per carry). The Wildcats secondary allowed a completion percentage of 63.4%, surrendering 243 yards on 26 out of 41 through the air.

The Northwestern Wildcats are averaging 437.8 yards per outing, ranking them 44th in D-1. The Northwestern offense has accrued 256 penalty yards on 33 infractions, which has them ranked 54th in college football in terms of helping out the opposition. They hold an average of 212.8 yards via the ground game and have rushed for 851 yards in total. They have tossed no picks while surrendering 2 fumbles and they have recorded 86 first downs. When it comes to putting points on the board, the Wildcats currently sit 59th in D-1 maintaining an average of 33.0 PPG. For the year thus far, the Wildcats have compiled 900 passing yards as well as holding an average of 225.0 passing yards per outing, which has them ranked 78th in Division 1.

Northwestern has given up a total of 646 rushing yards (161.5 yards/game) and 4 touchdowns by way of the ground game this season. They have surrendered 3 touchdowns from the passing game in addition to 224.3 yards per game, which has them ranked 89th in the country. This season, they have conceded 67 points in total. Their defense has totaled 2 fumbles and 5 interceptions over the course of the season. The Wildcats defense has taken the field for 282 plays, which ranks 32nd in Division 1. The Wildcats are surrendering 16.8 PPG, which has them sitting 30th in college football.

Who will win tonight's Cardinals/Wildcats college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Cardinals +36.5

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