Ball State vs Massachusetts Prediction 11/4/2026 Today’s College Football Picks

The Ball State Cardinals and the UMass Minutemen meet in week 10 college football action from McGuirk Stadium on Wednesday. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. 

Ball State Cardinals vs. UMass Minutemen Prediction

I’m on UMass here. UMass started out of the gates strong before cooling off as of late in some of their recent outings, but I still think this is a good spot for the Minutemen to take another step towards bowl eligibility which would be a big deal after this team went winless last season. Ball State hasn’t been the most successful on their travels, and I think UMass takes advantage off of their bye week. Give me the Minutemen.

Ball State Cardinals Recap

The Ball State Cardinals come into this game looking to add on to their 34-17 win over Sacramento State last time out to sit at 3-5 this season. After this game, Ball State will head home for a game against Buffalo. Keldric Luster leads the Ball State passing attack with 1,300 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions while completing 63.0% of his throws on 133 completions from 211 attempts, with Tyler Mizzell providing supplemental support via 260 passing yards and 1 score on 23 completions, and Jyron Hughley adding 27 passing yards and 1 score on 1 completion. The Cardinals’ ground game is spearheaded by TJ Horton, who rushes for 425 yards and 9 touchdowns on 68 carries, followed closely by Keldric Luster with 257 yards and 2 scores on 68 carries, Jalen Bonds adding 224 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 47 attempts, Johnny Thompson Jr. chipping in 86 yards on 35 carries, and Elijah Jackson adding 34 yards on 8 rushing attempts. Through the air, Donovan Hamilton leads the receiving corps with 310 yards and 1 touchdown on 25 catches, while Jamarion McDougle adds 264 yards and 2 scores on 23 receptions, Isaiah Thacker logs 217 yards and 1 score on 16 catches, Jabari Smith adds 212 yards and 2 scores on 21 receptions, and Jalen Bonds rounds out key targets with 112 yards and 1 score on 10 catches. Defensively, Kaleb Stewart anchors the Ball State squad by logging a team-high 37 total tackles. Altogether, the Cardinals’ defensive unit has successfully combined to bring down opposing quarterbacks for 15 sacks, 99 yards lost, and no pass deflections while also coming away with 6 total interceptions.

UMass Minutemen Recap

The UMass Minutemen come into this game looking to bounce back from a 35-16 loss at the hands of the UConn Huskies last time out to sit at 4-4 this season. After this game, UMass will head on the road for a game against Toledo. William Watson III has thrown for 1,025 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions while completing 69.6% of his passes to lead the Massachusetts passing attack, backed by 96 completions on 138 attempts, with Logan Inagawa providing supplemental support via 296 passing yards and 1 score on 24 completions, and Aedan McCarthy adding 182 passing yards on 17 completions. The Minutemen’s ground game is spearheaded by Elijah Faulkner, who rushes for 376 yards and 1 touchdown on 89 carries, followed closely by Curtis Kimmons IV with 308 yards and 4 scores on 55 carries, William Watson III adding 178 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 37 attempts, T.Y. Harding chipping in 90 yards and 1 score on 4 carries, and Logan Inagawa adding 75 yards and 1 score on 25 rushing attempts. Through the air, T.Y. Harding leads the receiving corps with 327 yards and 2 touchdowns on 28 catches, while Jabari Lewis adds 284 yards on 20 receptions, Joseph Griffin Jr. logs 211 yards and 1 score on 12 catches, Kezion Dia-Johnson adds 140 yards on 13 receptions, and Reece Adkins rounds out key targets with 132 yards on 15 catches. Defensively, Timmy Hinspeter anchors the Massachusetts squad by logging a team-high 72 total tackles. Altogether, the Minutemen’s defensive unit has successfully combined to bring down opposing quarterbacks for 20 sacks, 123 yards lost, and 35 pass deflections while also coming away with 7 total interceptions.

Chris Ruffolo's Pick: UMass -3.5