The Northern Illinois Huskies (5-4) and the Akron Zips (2-7) square off during midweek MACtion on Wednesday night. The Huskies got back to their winning ways last week and snapped their two-game skid. On Nov. 6, Northern Illinois defeated Western Michigan 42-28. Akron has lost five of their past six games. The Zips fell to the Buffalo Bulls 41-30 in their last outing.
Kickoff from Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Ill., is at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. The Huskies are 14.5-point favorites in the latest Akron vs. Northern Illinois odds via SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points scored is 43.5, down three points from the opener. Before making any Northern Illinois vs. Akron picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it is a strong 18-12 on all top-rated picks over the past seven weeks of this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen strong returns.
Now, the model has dialed in on Akron vs. NIU and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football betting lines and trends for NIU vs. Akron:
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois spread: Huskies -14.5
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois over/under: 43.5 points
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois money line: Huskies -667, Zips +467
- AKR: Akron has hit the Over in five of its last six away games
- NIU: 4-4 ATS this season
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois picks: See picks here
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Northern Illinois can cover
Northern Illinois has an effective offense that is able to move the ball with ease. The Huskies are second in the MAC in total offense (398.7) and first in rushing offense (211.3) with 25.4 points per game. They've scored 30-plus points three different times this season. They have a two-headed monster in the backfield with senior Antario Brown and senior Gavin Williams.
Brown leds the team with 567 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and 4.9 yards per carry. He's finished with at least 60 rushing yards five times this season. Williams piles up yards in the backfield as well. The Iowa native has logged 530 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. In addition, he has two games with 100-plus rushing yards. The Zips are also allowing 184.8 rushing yards per game. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Akron can cover
Akron has found ways to make plays in the passing game this season. The Zips are third in the MAC in passing offense (234.8). Sophomore receiver Adrian Norton is the No. 1 option in the passing game. The Ohio native ranks fifth in the conference in receiving yards (629) and yards per game (69.9). He also has six touchdowns and 18.5 yards per reception.
In his last contest, Norton had six catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Junior running back Jordon Simmons is another difference-maker on offense for the Zips. In 2024, he has 87 carries for 495 yards. The Georgia native has notched 60-plus rushing yards in four straight games. On Oct. 26 against Eastern Michigan, Simmons had a season-high 109 rushing yards. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Akron vs. Northern Illinois picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 54 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations. You can see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Akron vs. Northern Illinois, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.