Sacramento State Hornets vs Ball State Cardinals Prediction, 10/24/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Sacramento State Hornets vs Ball State Cardinals

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Location: Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, IN

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Cardinals (-14.5)

Total/Over-Under: 49.5

The Sacramento State Hornets (1-6) are hitting the road to Scheumann Stadium on Saturday, October 24, 2026 where they will play the Ball State Cardinals (2-5). Ball State opens as 14.5-point favorites. The betting total comes in at 49.5.

The Sacramento State Hornets come into this game with a record of 1-6 for this season. In their last game, the Hornets played the Ohio Bobcats and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 48-7. Against the rush, the Hornets gave up 265 yards on 42 tries, which averages out to 6.3 yds per run allowed. Sacramento State relinquished 15 pass completions on 22 attempts for a total of 203 yds, and a completion percentage of 68.2%. On the day, they ran 52 plays which converted into 267 yards. The Sacramento State Hornets ran the ball a total of 26 times and had 127 yds, which is an average of 4.9 yds per attempt.

In terms of getting in the endzone, the Sacramento State Hornets are sitting at 15.0 points per game. As a team they average 107.6 yards on the ground which has them sitting 126th in the country. The Hornets have earned 2,119 yards in total for the year. In terms of notching touchdowns, Sacramento State has amassed 7 passing touchdowns and 4 rushing touchdowns. Sacramento State has 125 1st downs, and they have been hurt by 54 penalties for 540 yds. They have surrendered the ball 13 times.

The Hornets rank 125th in college football when it comes to the opposition scoring, conceding 32.7 points per game. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.9 yards per rushing attempt and 176.1 yards on the ground per game on the season. For the season, they have allowed 1,233 rushing yards through 7 contests. When talking about yards via the pass, the Hornets have allowed 1,322 yds which has them sitting in 61st in D-1. They have allowed 188.9 yards per contest via the pass as well as giving up a completion percentage of 68.6%. Overall, they have given up 365.0 yards per game ranking them 80th in D-1. They have yielded 8 touchdowns through the air as well as 19 touchdowns via the ground game.

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The Cardinals come into this matchup with a record of 2-5 this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Cardinals went home victorious with a score of 32-31 when they played the Bowling Green Falcons. Ball State ended up running for 5.7 yards per carry, finishing with a total of 240 yards on 42 carries. The Cardinals finished the game with 435 yds and they ran 66 plays (6.6 yds per play). The Cardinals pass defense gave up a completion rate of 70.8%, relinquishing 215 yds on 17 out of 24 passing. Ball State relinquished 35 attempts on the ground for 98 yds (2.8 yards per rush).

Concerning this team's ability to score points, the Cardinals are sitting 119th in the country averaging 20.3 points per outing. The Ball State Cardinals average 326.1 yards/contest, which is good for 118th in the nation. The Ball State offense has racked up 492 yards of penalties on 57 violations, which is good for 11th in college football in terms of hurting your team. They have thrown 4 interceptions while letting opponents recover 3 fumbles and they have obtained 128 1st downs. For the season so far, the Cardinals have compiled 1,336 yards via the pass together with holding an average of 190.9 passing yards per game, putting them at 108th in college football. They maintain an average of 135.3 yards via the ground game and have toted the ball for 947 yards for this year.

Ball State has surrendered a total of 1,411 yards on the ground (201.6 yards/game) in addition to 15 touchdowns via the rush on the year. They have conceded 17 touchdowns from the passing game as well as 243.7 yards/game, which has them ranked 112th in D-1. Over the course of the season, they have allowed 265 points in total. They have totaled 1 fumble recovered and 4 interceptions for the year. The Cardinals defense has been on the field for 468 plays, which ranks them 117th in college football. The Cardinals are relinquishing 37.9 points per game, which has them 135th in the country.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Hornets +14.5

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