The Western Michigan Broncos look to clinch a winning record when they take on the Mid-American Conference West Division-champion Northern Illinois Huskies in a MACtion matchup on Tuesday night. The Huskies (8-3, 6-1) secured their eighth division title in the last 12 years and first since 2018 with a 33-27 overtime win at Buffalo last Wednesday night. The Broncos (6-5, 3-4), who are already bowl eligible, will look to stay out of last place in the West. Western Michigan and Ball State are tied for fifth in the six-team division.
Kickoff from Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Ill., is set for 7 p.m. ET. Western Michigan leads the all-time series 26-20. The Broncos are four-point favorites in the latest Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 62.5. Before locking in any Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan 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 entered 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 Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan 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 Western Michigan vs. NIU:
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois spread: Western Michigan -4
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois over-under: 62.5 points
- Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois money line: Western Michigan -175, Northern Illinois +150
- WMU: The Broncos are 5-2-1 against the spread vs. a team with a winning record
- NIU: The Huskies are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall
Featured Game | Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Western Michigan Broncos
Why Western Michigan can cover
The Broncos are led by sophomore quarterback Kaleb Eleby, who has proven to be a dual threat. Last week, he threw for 307 yards and a score and rushed for another in a 22-21 loss to Eastern Michigan. For the season, he has rushed for five touchdowns and has completed 201 of 322 passes (62.4 percent) for 2,777 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has only five interceptions and a rating of 148.2.
Eleby’s top target is sophomore wide receiver Skyy Moore. He has 79 receptions for 1.050 yards (13.3 average) and six touchdowns. He has four games with at least 10 receptions, including a season-high 12 for 181 yards (15.1 average) and one touchdown last week against Eastern Michigan. He also had 11 receptions at Buffalo on Oct. 2 and at Pittsburgh on Sept. 18. Against Buffalo, Moore scored a pair of touchdowns, while piling up 163 yards receiving.
Why Northern Illinois can cover
Despite that, the Broncos are not a lock to cover the Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois spread. That’s because the Huskies claimed their seventh one-score victory of the season last week at Buffalo. Dual-threat junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi powers the Huskies, completing 173 of 295 passes (58.6 percent) for 2,314 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions and a rating of 134.3. He has also rushed 78 times for 390 yards (5.0 average) and five TDs.
Freshman running back Jay Ducker continues to be a force. He has rushed for 788 yards on 152 carries (5.2 average) and three TDs. He has rushed for 100 or more yards in four of the last five games, including a 33-carry, 210-yard effort against Bowling Green on Oct. 16. At Kent State on Nov. 3, Ducker scored a pair of touchdowns on 19 carries for 101 yards (5.3 average). Against Ball State on Nov. 10, he rushed for 155 yards on 24 attempts (6.5 average) and one TD.
How to make Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting 73 combined points. It also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins NIU vs. Western Michigan? And which side of the spread hits nearly 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.
