Ball State vs. Kentucky prediction & betting tips - September 2 | College Football Week 1
The Kentucky Wildcats will host the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday, September 2nd. Both the teams will be playing in their season opener this weekend.
Ball State vs. Kentucky match details
Fixture: Ball State Cardinals at Kentucky Wildcats
Date and Time: Saturday, September 2nd, 12:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
Ball State vs. Kentucky betting odds and spread
Ball State vs. Kentucky key stats
The Ball State Cardinals will play in their season opener this weekend. They finished last season with a 5-7 record. After losing starting quarterback John Paddock, the team brought in Layne Hatcher, who has spent four years as a starter at the collegiate level.
The Cardinals are led by head coach Mike Neu, who is entering his eighth year leading the program. He has led Ball State to a 33-48 record. Neu's only previous head coaching experience was in the Arena Football League, where he compiled a 52-43 record in seven seasons.
The Kentucky Wildcats will also play in their season opener this weekend after they finished last season with a 7-6 record, reaching as high as seventh in the AP Poll.
Starting quarterback Will Levis has left for the NFL and Kentucky responded by bringing in former North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Devin Leary, who spent parts of four seasons as a starter despite an injury.
The Wildcats are led by head coach Mark Stoops, who is entering his 11th season leading the program. Stoops is in his first head coaching gig as he previously served as a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator at multiple stops.
His tenure has had some success and some failure, but Kentucky has mostly been a middle-of-the-pack team. There have been rumblings that Stoops' seat could be starting to warm up.
Ball State vs. Kentucky betting prediction
The Kentucky Wildcats underperformed last season, winning just three of their final nine games after starting 4-0. Meanwhile, Will Levis, who spent the past two years under center, is now with the Tennessee Titans in the NFL.
Despite this, Devin Leary has plenty of collegiate experience under center and has shown that he is more than capable when healthy. In his lone full season, Leary threw for 3433 yards, 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing 65.7% of his passes.
While he may struggle in SEC play, that shouldn't be the case against the Ball State Cardinals. Look for the Wildcats to win by at least 27 points.
Pick: Kentucky Wildcats -26.5 (-110)