The Kent State Golden Flashes (3-5, 2-2 MAC) will face the Ball State Cardinals (3-5, 2-2 MAC) on Wednesday night in Muncie. Both teams sit at 2-2 in conference play and are looking to get above the .500 mark in a highly competitive MAC. Before kickoff in this important game for both teams, continue reading to get my Kent State vs Ball State prediction.
Our Kent State vs Ball State Pick
- Pick: Ball State -2.5
- Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Kent State Golden Flashes vs Ball State Cardinals
- Date & Time: Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, Indiana
- Broadcast: ESPNU
Key Storylines
- Both teams sit at 3-5 overall and 2-2 in MAC play. There are several teams at 4-1 in MAC play, making this a must-win for either side if they want to remain in conference title game contention.
- Kent State has improved dramatically from its winless 2024 campaign. They have two conference wins this season, winning two of their last three games and feeling some rare positive momentum for their program.
- Ball State leads the all-time series by a significant margin (24-8) and has won the last three meetings. They will look to continue their winning ways against the Golden Flashes here.
- Kent State recently promoted interim coach Mark Carney to full-time head coach. The players have shown up for him and will try to continue to do so now that he is in charge of the program for the foreseeable future.
- Offensive production for both teams has been anemic. Ball State averages 16.4 points per game (ranked 132nd nationally) and Kent State averages 18.6 points per game (127th). The team that can generate some sort of consistent offense will have a huge advantage in this contest.
Quarterback Play
Kent State’s starter at quarterback is Dru DeShields. He thrown for 1,109 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just two interceptions in 2025. He hasn’t been all that productive over the course of this season but he has done a nice job of avoiding interceptions and sticking his defense with short fields.
Ball State’s quarterback Kiael Kelly is more of a dual-threat and a run-first quarterback. Through eight games, Kelly has 982 passing yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also has 141 rushes for 417 yards and five touchdowns. His passing efficiency is poor, but he will try to make up for that with his legs.
Betting Trends
- Ball State is 5-3 against the spread so far this season.
- Kent State is 4-4 against the spread on the year.
- Kent State is 4-4 on over/unders so far this season.
- Ball State is 3-5 on over/unders heading into Wednesday night.
Kent State vs Ball State Model Projection
Score Projection: Ball State 24 – Kent State 21
Win Probability: Ball State 57%, Kent State 43%
Final Thoughts
This has the potential to be an ugly game from both of these offenses. But I think that Ball State has the upper hand at home in this contest. Both of Kent State’s MAC wins have come at home, including one over a dreadful UMass team. I’ll take the Cardinals to win and cover the spread on their home turf tonight.
