Mary Hardin-Baylor favored at home as Endicott's schedule strength stands out

The gap that matters here is not the seven spots between Endicott at No. 12 and Mary Hardin-Baylor at No. 21 in the Division III rankings, but the strength of schedule each has played to get there. Endicott sits 25th in D3 strength of schedule while Mary Hardin-Baylor checks in at 50th, a real separation among the 234 teams Versus tracks in the division, and it is one reason the Power Gulls carry an overall grade of A+ into a matchup with a Crusaders team graded A.

Both programs arrive unbeaten at 2-0, and both have climbed fast this season, Endicott jumping 22 spots to No. 12 and Mary Hardin-Baylor rising 14 spots to No. 21. Mary Hardin-Baylor's defense grades out at A+, the best mark on either side of the ball in this game, and its offensive rank of 18 pairs with a defensive rank of 13. Endicott counters with A grades across offense and defense alike, ranked 24th and 25th respectively.

Versus projects a 29-22 result in favor of Mary Hardin-Baylor, giving the Crusaders a 66 percent chance to win at home against Endicott's 34 percent. This is a non-conference game for both sides, so neither the American Southwest Conference nor Endicott's Conference of New England standings are affected by the outcome. Mary Hardin-Baylor comes in on a seven-game winning streak, while Endicott has lost just six of its last 36 games over four seasons, a pairing of recent form that should make this closer than the seven-point margin suggests.