Northern Illinois Huskies vs Northern Iowa Panthers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/7/24

Planning on watching today’s Huskies and Panthers game? Catch the action at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, IA, as the Panthers hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Northern Iowa as the -18.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 139.5 points.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES VS NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Northern Illinois Huskies +18.5

This game will be played at McLeod Center at 6:00 ET on Saturday, December 7th.

WHY BET THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-71 in favor of the Panthers.
• Even though we have Northern Iowa winning straight-up, we like Northern Illinois at +18.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 139.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Can Northern Illinois Stun the Crowd at McLeod Center?

Northern Illinois Huskies Recent Game

The Huskies dropped to 1-6 on the season after a 72-59 loss to Eastern Illinois on Friday. Northern Illinois entered the game as +3.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 131, falling short of the O/U line of 137.5.

After trailing 31-24 at halftime, NIU scored 35 points in the 2nd half but allowed 41 points, leading to the loss.

Northern Illinois struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 29.6% from the field and hitting only 5 of 17 two-point attempts (29.4%). They connected on 11 of 37 three-pointers, shooting 29.7% from deep, and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 40.7%.

Despite their shooting woes, the Huskies were nearly perfect from the free-throw line, making 16 of 17 attempts (94.1%). They managed just 3 offensive rebounds and recorded 13 assists in the game.

Despite Northern Illinois giving up 72 points, they held their opponent to 44% shooting from the field, with 26 made baskets on 58 attempts. The Huskies allowed 51% shooting from two-point range, as the other team connected on 23 of their 45 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Northern Illinois limited their opponent to just 3 made threes on 13 attempts, a 23% shooting performance. At the free-throw line, the other team shot 77%, making 17 of 22 attempts. The Huskies also gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Do the Panthers Have What it Takes at Home?

Northern Iowa Panthers Recent Game/Games

The Panthers improved to 3-4 on the season with an 83-56 road win over UIC on Wednesday. Northern Iowa entered the game as 2-point favorites and covered the spread.

They led 46-32 at halftime and held UIC to just 24 points in the 2nd half while scoring 37. The total points for the game were 139, falling short of the 148.5 O/U line.

Northern Iowa’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 83 points while shooting 56.6% from the field. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 61.1% of their three-point attempts (11/18), contributing to an impressive effective field goal percentage of 67.9%.

Leon Bond III led the way with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while Trey Campbell knocked down all 5 of his three-point attempts, finishing with 17 points and 5 assists. Tytan Anderson added 16 points, and Sasa Ciani grabbed a team-high 17 rebounds to go along with his 13 points.

Northern Iowa’s defense was dominant, holding their opponent to just 56 points on 32% shooting from the field. They limited the damage inside, allowing 14 two-point field goals on 36 attempts, a 38% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Northern Iowa’s defense was even more effective, as they gave up just 5 threes on 23 attempts, a 21% shooting percentage. They also sent their opponent to the line 18 times, where they converted 13 free throws, a 72% rate.