The Massachusetts Minutemen aim to end a four-game losing streak when they host the Ball State Cardinals in a Mid-American Conference matchup Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Mass. Ball State enters at 3-5 overall (2-2 MAC) after a 34-17 win over Sacramento State on Oct. 24, while UMass sits at 4-4 (1-3 MAC) following a 35-16 loss at Connecticut on Oct. 23. The Minutemen are 2.5-point favorites with an over/under of 48.5 points.
Model Predictions
SportsLine's projection model, which has simulated the game 10,000 times, leans toward the over 48.5 points, a side that has hit in eight of Ball State's last 10 games. The model projects Ball State quarterback Keldric Luster to throw for over 200 yards and a touchdown (1,300 yards, 9 TDs season), and UMass quarterback William Watson III to exceed 225 yards and two scores (1,025 yards, 8 TDs season). The computer forecasts 52 combined points, with the over representing value 57% of the time. Additionally, the model indicates one side of the spread hits in nearly 70% of simulations. SportsLine's model entered Week 10 on an 80-77 run on top-rated college football picks.
