Northern Illinois Huskies vs Ohio Bobcats NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/11/25
Looking to win big? The Huskies and Bobcats face off at 1:00 ET on ESPN+. The Bobcats are hosting the game at Convocation Center (OH) in Athens, OH. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 149 points, and Ohio is favored by -20.5 to win at home against Northern Illinois.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES VS OHIO BOBCATS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Northern Illinois Huskies +20.5
This game will be played at Convocation Center (OH) at 1:00 ET on Saturday, January 11th.
WHY BET THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Bobcats.
- Even though we have Ohio winning straight-up, we like Northern Illinois at +20.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 149 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
Will Northern Illinois Pull Through as the Underdog Road Team?
The Huskies dropped to 1-10 on the season after a 68-50 loss to Kent State on Tuesday. Northern Illinois was a +12.5 point underdog at home and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 118 fell short of the 139.5 O/U line.
Northern Illinois trailed 35-21 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 29 points while allowing 33.
In their latest game, Northern Illinois struggled offensively, shooting just 30.5% from the field and 25.9% from three-point range, finishing with 50 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.3%, and they hit only 46.7% of their free throws.
VonCameron Davis led the way with 31 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 50% overall, though he was just 1-for-6 from deep. James Dent Jr. added 21 points, hitting 3 of 10 from beyond the arc and shooting 47.1% overall.
Despite Northern Illinois’s strong defensive effort, they couldn’t come away with the win, allowing 68 points while holding their opponent to just 30% shooting from the field. The Huskies limited damage inside, with their opponent hitting only 34% of their two-point attempts (11/32).
Northern Illinois also kept their opponent in check from beyond the arc, where they shot 25% (7/27). Even at the free-throw line, the Huskies’ defense held firm, with their opponent making just 7 of 15 attempts (46%).
Can Ohio Deliver Being Favored at Home?
Ohio moved to 7-6 on the season with an 88-79 road win over Buffalo on Tuesday. The Bobcats entered the game as -11.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 167, surpassing the over/under line of 153.5.
Ohio took control early, leading 37-20 at halftime, but allowed 59 points in the 2nd half while scoring 51 of their own.
Ohio put up 88 points in their last game, shooting 50.8% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 56.9%. They connected on 59.5% of their two-point attempts and hit 34.8% from beyond the arc, going 8-for-23 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, they made 14 of 19 attempts, good for 73.7%.
The Bobcats dished out 19 assists and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds. AJ Clayton led the way with 27 points, hitting 4-of-8 from three-point range. Tyson Dunn added 21 points, knocking down 5-of-9 from deep and contributing 8 assists. Aidan Hadaway chipped in 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and pulled down 16 rebounds.
Ohio’s defense gave up 79 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field. They allowed 53% shooting on two-point attempts, as the other team went 22/41 inside the arc.
From three-point range, Ohio’s defense held the opponent to 25% shooting, with just 7 makes on 27 attempts. The other team also shot 63% from the free-throw line, hitting 14 of 22. Ohio gave up 11 offensive rebounds.