Northern Illinois vs. Toledo Pick
Will Toledo handle being more than a touchdown favorite at home when it plays host to Northern Illinois tonight at 6PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Toledo is favored at home, as the Rockets are getting odds of -7.5 points against the Huskies. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 57 points. NIU has won six of the last seven meetings with Toledo, while the road team has covered the spread in the last six encounters. The public is currently putting 56 percent of the wagers on Northern Illinois on the road. Tonight’s game takes place from the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio and the game will air live on ESPNU.
Toledo is coming off a 58-17 win at Ball State last week to improve to 7-1 on the season and 4-0 in the MAC. The Rockets are 4-4 against the spread, covering in their last three games. The offense is putting up 40.5 points and 516.6 yards per game this season. Logan Woodside has thrown for 2,295 yards and 19 touchdowns with two interceptions. Terry Swanson is the leading rusher with 728 yards and eight touchdowns while Diontae Johnson has 36 receptions for 693 yards and eight scores. Defensively, Toledo is allowing just 25.4 points and 363.5 yards per game.
Northern Illinois is coming off a 30-27 OT win over Eastern Michigan last week. The Huskies are now 6-2 on the season and 4-0 in the MAC. The Huskies are 5-3 against the spread this season, but just 1-3 ATS in their last four. NIU has a great defense that is holding opponents to 18 points and 307.1 yards per game. The offense is putting up 27.9 points and 396.5 yards per contest. Marcus Childers has thrown for 872 yards and nine touchdowns while also rushing for 329 yards and three touchdowns to lead the offense. Jordan Huff is the leading rusher with 450 yards but he is out for tonight’s game due to a leg injury.
Bet on Northern Illinois at Toledo
The trends side with Northern Illinois, but I am going to go with the Rockets. Northern Illinois is dealing with some injuries, with their starting QB already out and now their leading rusher out as well. Toledo has an offense that will be tough to stop, especially on its home turf. I don’t see NIU having the offensive ability to keep pace with the Rockets tonight.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: TOLEDO -7.5