The set: If it's November, then it's weekday football games in the MAC. This Thursday night game features the 2-6 Ball State Cardinals against the 2-7 Eastern Michigan Eagles. Both teams come in on losing streaks. The Cardinals lost 58-17 to the visiting Toledo Rockets on Homecoming (Oct. 26), the team's fifth consecutive loss. Eastern Michigan also played and lost on Oct. 26th, 30-27 in OT at Northern Illinois, the Eagles' sixth straight loss. Toledo and Northern Illinois are both 4-0 in the MAC West, while Ball State and Eastern Michigan are both 0-4. This is not exactly a marquee matchup.

Ball State: The Cardinals opened with a close loss at Illinois and then won its next two. However, the team has lost five in a row since and comes in averaging only 19.1 PPG (119th) on 341.4 YPG (109th) on the season. Defensively, the Cardinals allow 37.6 PPG (118th) on 412.5 YPG (86th). Head coach HC Mike Neu has to be frustrated, as he's lost three QBs and will likely go with redshirt freshman Drew Plitt again.

Eastern Michigan: The Eagles opened the 2017 season 2-0 but enter this contest on a six-game slide. However, the Eagles have been competitive in all six defeats, losing three in OT and the other three by margins of four, five and one. EMU is a much better offensive team, averaging 32.9 PPG (38th). The Eagles depend on a running game averaging 260.2 YPG (12th). It's led by Brewer (980 YR / 4.9 YPC / 8 TDs) and Brooks (687 YR / 5.8 YPC / 10 TDs). Defense has been a problem, as EMU allows 37.7 PPG (120th) on a whopping 550.1 YPG (129th).

The pick: Both teams enter on losing streaks (see above) but Eastern Michigan has been the more competitive team during its skid. EMU won last year's game (48-41 at Ball State) but that was just the Eagles' second win over the last 12 meetings of this series. This huge pointspread makes little sense. Take the points and make Ball State a 10* play.