A pair of struggling teams look to get back into the win column when the Northern Illinois Huskies battle the Chicago State Cougars in nonconference action on Monday afternoon. The Huskies (2-6), who finished 12th in the Mid-American Conference at 2-12 and were 3-16 overall last season, have dropped six of their last seven games. The Cougars (3-6), who will compete in the Western Athletic Conference, were 0-9 in 2020-21. This will be the fifth consecutive season the teams will meet, with Northern Illinois posting a 64-54 win last season. Northern Illinois leads the all-time series 7-0.
Tipoff from the Jones Convocation Center in Chicago is set for 1 p.m. ET. The Huskies are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 126.5. Before making any Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State:
- Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State spread: Northern Illinois -2.5
- Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State over-under: 126.5 points
- NIU: The Huskies are 8-1 against the spread in their last nine Monday games
- CSU: The Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games vs. a team with a losing road record
Why Northern Illinois can cover
Sophomore transfer guard Keshawn Williams leads the Huskies, averaging a team-high 11.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He is connecting on 76.9 percent of his foul shots. Williams has reached double figures in four games this season, including a season-high 24 points in a 55-45 win over Eastern Illinois on Dec. 1. He also scored 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor in an 85-49 loss at Indiana on Nov. 12.
Senior guard Trendon Hankerson averages 11.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.6 assists per game. He has been reliable from the outside, connecting on 35.8 percent of his 3-point shots for the season, and is 50 percent from beyond the arc over the past three games. He opened the year with a 28-point effort in a 71-64 win at Washington on Nov. 9, and added 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range in a win over Eastern Illinois. He has reached double figures in four games.
Why Chicago State can cover
The Cougars have four players averaging seven points or more this year, including junior guard Brandon Betson, who averages 15.3 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. He is hitting on 41.7 percent from the floor, including 39 percent from three-point range. He is also an 83.3 percent free throw shooter. Betson has scored in double figures in all nine games, including a 22-point effort in a season-opening 77-72 win against St. Thomas, Minn.
Freshman guard Jahsean Corbett is off to a fast start to his collegiate career, scoring in double figures in six games this season, including each of the past five. He has scored a season-high 17 points in back-to-back games, including Saturday’s loss to Illinois State. He has registered two double-doubles, including a 16-point, 13-rebound performance against Bowling Green on Nov. 28. For the season, Corbett is averaging 11.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
How to make Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the point total. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s Chicago State vs. Northern Illinois pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State? And which side of the spread hits in nearly 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
