Northern Iowa Panthers vs Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/23

Planning on watching today’s Panthers and Huskies game? Catch the action at NIU Convocation Center in Dekalb, IL, as the Huskies hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The Panthers come into this non-conference matchup as the betting favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 155.5 points.

NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS VS NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Northern Illinois Huskies +3

This game will be played at NIU Convocation Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, December 21st.

WHY BET THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Huskies.
• Not only will Northern Illinois pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +3.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 155.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Can Northern Iowa Pull Off A Win at NIU Convocation Center?

The Northern Iowa Panthers have a record of 5-7 heading into their game against Northern Illinois. In away games, they are 1-5 and at home, they are 0-2. Northern Iowa has a sub-.500 ATS record, sitting at 2-6. The Panthers have gone 1-5 vs. the spread on the road and are 1-1 at home.

Northern Iowa’s games have, on average, featured 153.6 points per game leading to an over/under record of 6-2-0. Their average over/under line is currently 144.6 points so far. Over the course of the last five games, the Panthers’ games have averaged 161 points per game, along with an over/under record of 4-1.

Northern Iowa’s offense is coming off a strong performance vs. Toledo, finishing the game with a total of 80 points. Their season average is now 77.9 points per game. For the season, the Northern Iowa offense has been one of the more efficient shooting teams in the NCAA with a field goal percentage of 47%. So far, they have hit 55% of their looks from inside the arc, and are averaging 9 made three’s per contest.

Coming into today’s game, the Northern Iowa defense is giving up an average of 73.8 points per contest. So far, the Northern Iowa defense is giving up an average of 6.7 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 10.8 times per game (376th).

Does Northern Illinois Stand a Chance at Home?

Northern Illinois comes into today’s game against Northern Iowa with a season record of 6-4. In their last three home games, including those from last year, Northern Illinois has a record of 2-1. Northern Illinois has a 5-2 record vs. the spread heading into today’s game. When playing away, the Huskies are 3-2 vs. the spread, while they are 2-0 at home ATS.

Up to this point, games involving Northern Illinois have had an average of 160.7 points per game, with the average over/under line set at 150.9 points. Their over/under record is 5-2-0. The Huskies have an over/under record of 0-2 in their last three games, with their games averaging 146 points per game.

Compared to their season average of 82.2 points per game, Northern Illinois struggled in their previous game. Against Monmouth, the Huskies scored 71 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 46%. Xavier Amos was the leading scorer for the Huskies, putting up 21 points. In addition, Zarique Nutter contributed 21 points.

So far, the Huskies’ defense is ranked 241st in the country at 76.4 points per contest. So far, the Northern Illinois defense is giving up an average of 10.6 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 12.1 times per game (524th).