Buffalo Bulls vs Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Pick & Prediction 2/13/24
Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Bulls and Huskies. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Huskies at NIU Convocation Center in Dekalb, IL. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 149.5 points, and Northern Illinois is favored by -9 vs. Buffalo in a Mid-American conference matchup.
BUFFALO BULLS VS NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Buffalo Bulls +9
This game will be played at NIU Convocation Center at 8:00 ET on Tuesday, February 13th.
WHY BET THE BUFFALO BULLS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-70 in favor of the Huskies.
- Even though we have Northern Illinois winning straight-up, we like Buffalo at +9.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 149.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.
Can the Buffalo Offense Score Enough on the Road?
Buffalo heads into this game as a 9-point underdog, and the Bulls have gone 1-16 as the underdog this season. They have also lost nine straight games and are just 3-20 overall.
Buffalo’s average scoring margin on the road this year is -10.3, and they are currently on a five-game road losing streak. They are 1-9 on the road this season.
Buffalo’s overall ATS record this season is 6-15, but their road ATS mark is a solid 6-4. Over their last 3 road games, the Bulls are 1-2 vs. the spread and they have gone 2-3 ATS in their last 5 road contests. As the underdog, Buffalo is 1-2 ATS over their last 3 games and they are just 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games as the underdog.
Buffalo’s over/under record for the season sits at 8-12-1, and the average scoring total in their games is 146 points. So far, 14 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s over/under line of 149.5. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 152 points, and their over/under record over their last 10 games is 5-4-1.
Coming off their recent game, the Buffalo offense tallied 73 points in a matchup against Bowling Green. Their field goal percentage for the game was 44.6%, and they made 10 threes. Coming into the game, the Bulls offense has strugled with their outside shot this season, hitting threes at a rate of just 26%. On average, they get up 25.3 three-point attempts per game and are averaging 11.3 made free-throws.
So far, the Bulls’ defense is ranked 322nd in the country at 80.4 points per contest. In their previous game vs. Bowling Green, the Falcons finished with a field goal percentage of 54% and a total of 87 points vs. Buffalo.
Will Northern Illinois Come Through as Home Favorites?
So far this season, Northern Illinois has been an underdog in 18 of its 23 games. The Huskies are 4-14 in those games. At home, they are 3-6, and their average scoring margin is -7.1 points per game.
In their last outing, the Huskies fell to South Alabama by a score of 75-66. Over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 4-6.
As the favorite this season, Northern Illinois has gone 2-1 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Huskies have a mark of 6-4 vs. the spread. At home this year, Northern Illinois has an ATS record of 3-6 and their last 10 home ATS mark is 2-6.
So far this season, the over/under record for Northern Illinois games sits at 12-9. Across their last three games, the average scoring total is 134 points, which is 15.5 points lower than their season average of 149.5. Currently, the average over/under line in their games is 152.2, and their average margin versus the OU line is 2.3 points. This year, 13 of their matchups have finished with more points than today’s OU line of 149.5. Over their previous 10 games, their OU record is 6-4.
Most recently, the Northern Illinois offense finished with just 66 points vs. South Alabama. For the game, they hit 7/26 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 44.4%. The team’s top scorer is David Coit, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 19.2, while Zarique Nutter also maintains a PPG average of 15.8 leading up to the game.
Coming into the game, Northern Illinois will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 78.6 points per game (304th). In their previous game vs. South Alabama, the Jaguars finished with a field goal percentage of 45% and a total of 75 points vs. Northern Illinois.