MAC rivals will face off on Saturday as the Akron Zips and Ball State Cardinals meet in Muncie. These teams both have two wins on the season and time is running out for them to grab enough wins to see bowl season. Here, I tell you which team I think will win this game as I make my Akron vs Ball State prediction for Saturday afternoon.
Our Akron vs Ball State Pick
- Pick: Ball State -1.5
- Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Akron Zips vs Ball State Cardinals
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Venue: Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Akron vs Ball State Odds
| Betting Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Spread | Ball State -1.5 |
| Moneyline | Akron +105 / Ball State -115 |
| Total Points | 44.5 |
Key Storylines
Quarterback Play
Akron quarterback Ben Finley has thrown for 1,157 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. He doesn’t have a lot of help around him but there are certainly worse quarterback options in the MAC than Finley. Ball State’s Kiael Kelly has thrown for 725 yards and four touchdowns this season, though he has also thrown two interceptions. The performance of these quarterbacks will be critical in determining the outcome of this game.
MACtion Update
Both of these teams are in desperate need of a win in conference play. Ball State is 1-1 in MAC play, while Akron is 1-2 in this year’s MACtion. There are three teams with undefeated records in conference play going into this week and the loser of this game would be way behind those teams in the loss column. Expect both teams to come out with a sense of urgency as they look to avoid being the team that drops this game.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Akron is 3-4 against the spread for the year.
- Ball State is 4-2 against the spread going into this week’s game.
- Akron has gone 4-3 to the over this season.
- Ball State is 2-4 in the over/under market through their first six games.
- These teams are 12-12-1 against each other all-time. Ball State won their last meeting in 2021.
Akron vs Ball State Model Projection
Score Projection: Ball State 28 – Akron 15
Win Probability: Ball State 63%, Akron 37%
Final Thoughts
Akron has yet to win a game on the road this season. I expect that trend to continue after this contest. The Ball State Cardinals aren’t world beaters by any stretch of the imagination. But they should grab their third consecutive win at home in this game. I recommend laying the points with the Cardinals in a game where I expect Ball State to pull away late in the second half after a competitive first three quarters of play.
