The Ball State Cardinals and the Northern Illinois Huskies will face off on Saturday afternoon in MAC play. With Northern Illinois set to join the Mountain West Conference next season, this matchup at Brigham Field in DeKalb will be the last conference game between these rivals. Before it kicks off, continue reading to get my Ball State vs Northern Illinois prediction.
Our Ball State vs Northern Illinois Pick
- Pick: Over 41.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Ball State Cardinals vs Northern Illinois Huskies
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 25, 2025, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, IL
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Final Bronze Stalk Trophy Game: This is the last scheduled meeting between the two teams as conference rivals, adding emotional weight to the game. Given that both teams have struggled this year, those emotional stakes make up the majority of the stakes in this game for these teams.
- Ball State’s Offensive Leadership: Quarterback Kiael Kelly and running back Qua Ashley have been important players for the Cardinals. Kelly has accounted for 846 passing yards and five touchdowns, and Ashley has contributed 476 rushing yards and four touchdowns. But Ball State has yet to win a game on the road this season and their key offensive weapons will need to step up here.
- Northern Illinois’s Struggles: The Huskies have averaged just 12.3 points per game this season. No quarterback for the Huskies has thrown for anywhere close to 1,000 yards for the season as they have struggled to find continuity at that position.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Ball State’s Underdog Success: The Cardinals have won each of their last four games as an underdog against Northern Illinois.
- Huskies’ Home Struggles: Northern Illinois has failed to cover the spread in each of its last eight home games.
- Recent Matchups: The underdog has covered the spread in each of the last six games between Ball State and Northern Illinois.
Ball State vs Northern Illinois Model Projection
- Score Projection: Ball State 28 – Northern Illinois 21
- Win Probability: Ball State 55%, Northern Illinois 45%
Final Thoughts
My top pick for this game in the betting markets is for Ball State and Northern Illinois to combine to go over the total. Northern Illinois has struggled to put points on the board, but that could change against a Ball State team that has struggled to get stops at times. I’ll go with the over in what should be an exciting finale to the era where these programs have played as conference rivals.
