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Matchup preview

Ball State vs Liberty

Ball State visit Liberty in Week 3. The model favors Liberty by 23.7. Win probability, the tale of the tape, and the all-time series, all from real data.

Win probability
8%
92%

Model win probability from SP+ ratings + home-field edge.

The read
Model analysis · September 16 · refreshed weekly

SP+ separates these teams by 14.2 rating points, Liberty at -7.1 (99th) over Ball State at -21.3 (131st), and translates that into a projected Liberty margin of 16.6 with an 84% win probability. The market shades slightly softer: a consensus -14.2 spread across two books implies 81%, while the ProphetX exchange prices Liberty at -560, or 85%. The alignment is tight, with the model's projected margin sitting 2.4 points above the posted line and the exchange essentially matching the model.

The unit ranks explain the gap. Liberty's offense (86) and defense (105) both outrank Ball State's offense (132) and defense (124), a two-sided edge rather than a single lopsided matchup. Results add nuance: Ball State was buried 3-56 at Ohio State before handling Stony Brook 41-17, while Liberty lost a one-score game 13-20 at James Madison and survived Gardner-Webb 24-23. Neither win was commanding, which frames the 49.5 total.

Season simulations project Liberty at 7.2 wins against Ball State's 4.8, with Playoff odds of 1.3% and 0% respectively. The consistency across model, market, and exchange leaves little disagreement to exploit.

Model, market, and exchange all land on Liberty near 81-85%, with the projected 16.6 margin edging the -14.2 line.

Matchup odds
Consensus line · 3 books
Spread
LIB -14.5
Total (O/U)
49.3
Favorite
LIB
Moneyline win probability (implied from the spread)

Real consensus line across 3 sportsbooks. Spread and total are the current market number; the win probabilities are implied from the spread.

Matchup odds price history
The market to win this game · daily prices, colored by the favorite
Ball State1%-18 ptsvsLiberty99%+18 pts
0%25%50%75%100%Ball State favoredLiberty favoredSep 8Sep 11Sep 13Sep 15Sep 17Sep 19Sep 20

Real daily prices from the market to win this game, shown as Ball State's win price; Liberty's is 100 minus it (the same market's other side). Above the 50% line Ball State is favored, below it Liberty is, and each candle takes the favored team's color. Kalshi shows open-high-low-close candles (filled body closed up, hollow closed down). As of Sep 23.

Tale of the tape
Percentile vs FBS · 2025 stats, 2026 SP+
#136SP+SP+: Bill Connelly's tempo- and opponent-adjusted efficiency rating, expressed in points above average.#82
#132FPIFPI: ESPN's Football Power Index, an overall measure of team strength.#104
1010EloElo: a rating that rises or falls after each game based on the result and the quality of the opponent.1441
-Title oddsDe-vigged consensus probability to win the national title, averaged across the prediction markets we track.-
Ball StateLibertysolid = better, faded = trailing
What these metrics mean
SP+. SP+: Bill Connelly's tempo- and opponent-adjusted efficiency rating, expressed in points above average.
FPI. FPI: ESPN's Football Power Index, an overall measure of team strength.
Elo. Elo: a rating that rises or falls after each game based on the result and the quality of the opponent.
Title odds. De-vigged consensus probability to win the national title, averaged across the prediction markets we track.
Off PPA. PPA (Predicted Points Added): the average point value each play adds. Higher is better for offense, lower for defense.
Success. Success rate: the share of plays that stay on schedule (roughly 50% of needed yards on 1st down, 70% on 2nd, 100% on 3rd/4th). Higher is better.
Explosive. Explosiveness: the average value of a team's successful plays, i.e. how big its good plays are when they hit.
Yards/game. Total yards gained per game.
Success allowed. How often the defense allows an on-schedule play (enough yards for the down). Lower is better.
Havoc. Havoc rate: the share of plays where the defense makes a tackle for loss, forced fumble, interception, or pass breakup.
Yards allowed. Total yards allowed per game. Lower is better.
Efficiency profile
Percentile vs FBS · 2025
More Week 3 matchups
Model previews for the rest of the slate
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I trade the Ball State vs Liberty game?

Kalshi lists winner markets for college football games. Sign up with code FADE (trade $25, get up to $500), open the Ball State vs Liberty market when it posts, and buy YES on your side; the price in cents equals the market's implied win probability. You can sell before kickoff or settlement at the current price.

When do Ball State and Liberty play?

Week 3 of 2026, on Sep 19, 2026 at Liberty.

Who is favored?

The model projects Liberty by 23.7 (92% win probability), from SP+ ratings.

Full schedule → · Both teams' playoff odds, from 10,000 simulations →

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