The Northern Illinois Huskies can clinch their first Mid-American Conference West Division championship since 2018 when they take on the Buffalo Bulls in a key MACtion battle on Wednesday night. The Huskies (7-3, 5-1), who have a one-game lead over Central Michigan with two regular-season games remaining, defeated the Chippewas 39-38 on Oct. 23. Northern Illinois has made a remarkable turnaround from last season when it went 0-6 in a coronavirus pandemic-shortened season. The Bulls (4-6, 2-4), who are fourth in the MAC East, have dropped two consecutive games.
Kickoff from UB Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y., is set for 7 p.m. ET. NIU leads the all-time series 12-2. The Huskies are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Northern Illinois vs. Buffalo odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 62.5. Before locking in any Buffalo vs. Northern Illinois picks or MACtion predictions, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 12 of the 2021 season on a 36-23 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on NIU vs. Buffalo and locked in its MACtion picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the odds and college football betting lines for Buffalo vs. NIU:
- Northern Illinois vs. Buffalo spread: Northern Illinois -1.5
- Northern Illinois vs. Buffalo over-under: 62.5 points
- Northern Illinois vs. Buffalo money line: Northern Illinois -120, Buffalo +100
- NIU: The Huskies are 11-2-1 against the spread in their last 14 road games against a team with a losing home record
- BUFF: The Bulls are 8-1-1 ATS against a team with a winning record
Featured Game | Buffalo Bulls vs. Northern Illinois Huskies
Why Northern Illinois can cover
The Huskies have made a habit of pulling out close games this season. Last week against Ball State, NIU claimed its sixth one-score victory of the year with a 30-29 triumph as kicker John Richardson connected on a 38-yard field goal as time expired. Dual-threat junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi powers the Huskies, completing 156 of 268 passes (58.2 percent) for 2,117 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions and a rating of 135.3. He has also rushed 69 times for 376 yards (5.4 average) and five TDs.
Freshman running back Jay Ducker has been lights out, rushing for 734 yards on 131 carries (5.6 average) and three scores. He has rushed for 100 or more yards in each of the last four games, including a 33-carry, 210-yard effort against Bowling Green on Oct. 16. At Kent State on Nov. 3, Ducker scored two touchdowns on 19 carries for 101 yards (5.3 average). Last Wednesday, he rushed 24 times for 155 yards (6.5 average) and one TD.
Why Buffalo can cover
Despite that, the Huskies are not a lock to cover the Northern Illinois vs. Buffalo spread. That’s because the Bulls are 9-1 in their last 10 weeknight MACtion games played at UB Stadium. Junior running back Dylan McDuffie has carried a big portion of the load on offense and leads the team in rushing. He has carried 159 times for 857 yards (5.4 average) and 10 touchdowns. He has rushed for 100 or more yards three times, including a 34-carry, 166-yard and two touchdown effort in a 56-44 loss to Bowling Green on Oct. 30.
Defensively, senior linebacker James Patterson has been a handful for opposing offensive linemen. He leads the Bulls with 93 tackles, including 42 solo, with four sacks for 14 yards. He has also forced one fumble and has one interception for 11 yards. He has double-digit tackles in four games this season, including a 15-tackle effort against Ohio on Oct. 16.
How to make Buffalo vs. Northern Illinois picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting 67 combined points. It also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Northern Illinois vs. Buffalo? And which side of the spread hits 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the advanced model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
