northern illinois vs kent state ncaaf prediction

NCAAF Northern Illinois vs Kent State Prediction 11/25/2023

The Northern Illinois Huskies (5-6) travel to face off against the Kent State Golden Flashes (1-10) on Saturday, November 25th. This game will be played at Dix Stadium in Kent and televised on ESPN+. Northern Illinois is coming off a win in their previous game, while Kent State is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Ball State. Kickoff is set for 12:00 ET.

Northern Illinois Huskies vs Kent State Golden Flashes

The Northern Illinois Huskies Are Coming Off A Win

Northern Illinois is coming off a 24-0 win over Western Michigan. The Huskies set the tone early in the game, leading by a score of 7-0 after the first quarter. Against Western Michigan, Rocky Lombardi threw for 92 yards against Western Michigan, but did throw a touchdown pass. Overall his passer rating was 68.75 on a completion percentage of 52.9%.

Looking at the point-spread for this game, Northern Illinois covered as 4.5-point favorites. While on the over/under, the betting line was 57.5 at game time, resulting in a hit for the under.

This season, the Northern Illinois Huskies are currently 5-6. So far this season, they have played four road games and five at home.

So far, Northern Illinois has been favored six times and the underdog in three games. This has led to an ATS record of 4-5 and an average scoring differential of +3.5. Northern Illinois has put together an over/under record of 4-5 throughout this season. The average combined score in their games has been 44.8 points, and the standard over/under line has stood at 47.6 points.

The Kent State Golden Flashes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

After trailing by -7 at halftime, Kent State could not make a comeback and lost their most recent game 34-3 to Ball State. Against Ball State, Devin Kargman threw for 52 yards against Ball State, but did throw a touchdown pass. Overall his passer rating was 54.86 on a completion percentage of 41.7%.

Going into the game, Kent State was the 11-point underdogs and in addition to losing straight-up, they did not cover the spread. The team’s combined 37 points was not enough to surpass the over/under line of 42.

With a 1-10 record, the Kent State Golden Flashes take on Northern Illinois. Their road record so far is (0-7) and at home (0-3).

Having been the underdog in all of their games so far, Kent State has an ATS mark of 1-8-1. Their scoring margin for the season is -20.8 (per game). In 11 games played, the average over/under line for Kent State’s games has been set at 46 points. These contests have seen an average combined score of 47.9 points, resulting in an OU record of 6-4.

Northern Illinois Offense Breakdown

The Huskies’ offense is gearing up to take on Kent State, with an average of 173.7 rushing yards per game and an 5 yards per attempt. In the college football rankings, they are currently in 47th place for rushing yards and 102nd place for passing yards, accumulating an average of 186.5 yards per contest. Northern Illinois’ overall scoring average is at 24.2 points per game, placing them 69th rank nationally.

Rocky Lombardi is the top passer for the team this season, with 1891 yards and an average of 11.7 per completion. His completion rate is 57.9%, and he’s thrown nine touchdowns.

Kent State Offense Breakdown

As they prepare to face the Northern Illinois, the Golden Flashes’ offense is averaging 105.5 rushing yards per game and 2 yards per attempt. Nationally, they are 112th in rushing yards and 121st in passing yards, on an average of 156.5 yards per matchup. Kent State has averaged 13.5 points per game so far. This figure places them 104th in the nation.

Michael Alaimo leads the team in passing yards this season with 932. He’s averaged 11.8 per completion and holds a 54.9% completion rate, having thrown two touchdowns.

Northern Illinois Team Defense

So far this season, the Huskies’ defense has given up 157.3 rushing yards per game against the run (116th). Opponents are averaging 156.9 passing yards and opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 74.7 against Northern Illinois. In terms of points allowed, they are 79th in the NCAA.

Kent State Team Defense

The Golden Flashes defense comes into the game with 12 sacks, and ranked 1st in QB hurries. In terms of points allowed, they are giving up 34.4 points per game (143rd). When it comes to defending the pass, they are ranked 80th in the NCAA, allowing an average of 217.4 passing yards per game. Additionally, Kent State’s run defense comes in allowing 172.3 rushing yards per contest.

Northern Illinois vs Kent State Trends

  • Looking at Northern Illinois’ five most recent road games, they have put together a record vs. the spread of 3-2.
  • Kent State’s ATS record at home (last five) is 0-4-1.
  • In the five most recent times they were the underdog, Kent State has put together an ATS record of 0-4-1.
  • Over their last three games as the betting favorite, Northern Illinois has an ATS record of 1-2.

Northern Illinois vs Kent State Prediction

Northern Illinois not only displayed a strong rushing game in their last game but also have the advantage of facing a Kent State defense that had difficulties stopping the run against Ball State. My bet for this matchup is on Northern Illinois at -17.5.

With the over/under line at 45, I’m backing the over for this game. Kent State games have produced an average combined score of 47.9 points, and I expect this game to go over 45.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.