MACtion continues on Tuesday night when the Northern Illinois Huskies host the Western Michigan Broncos. The Broncos (4-6, 3-3 MAC), who have won three of the last five meetings with Northern Illinois, have split 24 games in DeKalb, Ill., in the series. The Huskies (4-6, 3-3 MAC), who have lost two straight, won last year's meeting 24-21 at Kalamazoo, Mich. Western Michigan holds a 27-21 lead in the all-time series, while Northern Illinois holds a 19-18 series edge in MAC games.
The game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET from Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium. Western Michigan is averaging 222.9 passing yards per game in 2023, while NIU averages 195.3. The Huskies are favored by 4.5 points in the latest Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 56.5. Before making any Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on NIU vs. Western Michigan and just revealed its picks and MACtion predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Western Michigan vs. NIU:
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois spread: Northern Illinois -4.5
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois over/under: 56.5 points
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois money line: Northern Illinois -202, Western Michigan +167
- WMU: 7-3 ATS this season
- NIU: 4-6 ATS this season
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Northern Illinois can cover
Veteran quarterback Rocky Lombardi brings a lot of experience to the Huskies. The sixth-year senior has passed for 1,799 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions on the season. He started his career at Michigan State, where he played three seasons, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He has done better at Northern Illinois, where he has thrown for 29 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions in two-plus seasons.
Sophomore defensive end George Gumbs has been a nightmare for opposing offenses. He leads the team with 3.5 sacks for 15 yards, and has registered 33 tackles, including 14 solo, with one forced fumble. In a 35-11 loss at Nebraska on Sept. 16, he had one sack and a forced fumble, registering three tackles, including two solo. He had 1.5 sacks and three stops in a 14-11 loss to Southern Illinois on Sept. 9. See which team to pick here.
Why Western Michigan can cover
The Broncos' top receiver is sophomore Kenneth Womack, who is in his first season with the team after playing parts of three seasons at Sacred Heart. He has a team-high 66 receptions for 623 yards (9.4 average) and one touchdown. In last week's win over Central Michigan, he caught 12 passes for 135 yards. It was his second 100-plus yard receiving game of the season. In his four-year collegiate career, he has 165 receptions for 1,879 yards (11.4 average) and six touchdowns.
Defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland has been an impressive performer for the Broncos. He is among the team leaders with 49 tackles, with 27 solo and two forced fumbles. He has also registered 4.5 sacks for 46 yards. In a 45-21 win at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 28, he made 11 tackles, including eight solo, with three sacks and one forced fumble. See which team to pick here.
How to make Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois picks
SportsLine's model is going Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 61 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. See who to back at SportsLine.
So who wins Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
