The Northern Illinois Huskies (18-9) will travel to McGuirk Arena to go head-to-head against the Central Michigan Chippewas (14-13) in their home finale. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and will air on ES3.
The Chippewas fell to Western Michigan 92-85 on Saturday. Chris Fowler was the team’s high scorer with 22 points. The Huskies are coming off a 63-59 loss against Ball State on Friday. Travon Baker led the game in scoring with 19 points.
This matchup pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Central Michigan currently ranks 35th in offensive efficiency and Northern Illinois is 22nd in defensive efficiency.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Huskies won the first game 75-70. Baker had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two three-pointers.
The Chippewas enter the game with records of 14-13 Straight Up (SU) and 8-11-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Central Michigan has some room to improve after their below-average performances recently. In the last 10 games, Central Michigan has only averaged 68.9 points per game compared to the 76.4 they’ve averaged on the season. Central Michigan is excellent from the perimeter with 269 three-pointers made (9.0 per game), the 15th-most in the country. The Chippewas, sporting the 27th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.44), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team.
Across the court, the Huskies have 18-9 SU and 13-9 ATS records. The Huskies are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 39.8 rebounds per game. Northern Illinois’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .396 from the field.
The Huskies’ win over Central Michigan in their last clash brought the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. With a 6-2-2 record, the Huskies have the advantage ATS. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – NIU, ATS Winner – NIU
Notes
The Central Michigan Chippewas average 76.4 points per game, ranking 91st in the nation. The Northern Illinois Huskies rank 49th in points allowed with 66.6.
Ranked 22nd, the Northern Illinois Huskies have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 95.5 points per 100 possessions. The Central Michigan Chippewas rank 35th in offense, scoring 113.8 points in the same number of possessions.
The Northern Illinois Huskies average a field goal percentage of 42.9% this season. The Central Michigan Chippewas have a subpar record of 5-12 when opponents have a FG% of 42.9% or greater.
The Central Michigan Chippewas rank lower for their field goal percentage (154th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (57th), but the Northern Illinois Huskies have a better FG% ranking (230th) than eFG% ranking (237th).
Central Michigan ranks 27th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.44. Northern Illinois is ranked lower at 119th with an A/TO of 1.15.
Central Michigan ranks 261st in offensive rebounds, while Northern Illinois ranks 51st in defensive rebounds.
The Central Michigan Chippewas make an average of 4.9 steals per game. When the Northern Illinois Huskies allow 4 or more steals, they are a solid 13-8.
