The Central Michigan Chippewas (9-8) travel to Northern Illinois to play the Huskies (14-3) in a matchup that pits the Mid-American’s top-ranked offense against the top-ranked defense. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and will air on ES3.
The Huskies lost to Western Michigan 83-69 on Saturday. Austin Pauga had a good game for Northern Illinois, finishing with 12 points, two rebounds, and one steal. The Chippewas, meanwhile, are coming off a 74-61 loss at the hands of Buffalo on Saturday. Rayshawn Simmons had a good shooting night, leading the team with 14 points.
Over the last five games, Braylon Rayson has been on fire for the Chippewas. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers.
It will be a battle of strength versus strength, as the high-octane offense of the Chippewas (31st in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.7) takes the court against the top-notch defense of the Huskies (eighth in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 91.0).
Northern Illinois, a four-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Central Michigan. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is 147 points. The Huskies look to build on their records of 14-3 Straight Up (SU) and 8-4 Against The Spread (ATS). Northern Illinois has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where it racks up an average of 41.4 rebounds per game. Turning to the defensive side, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Huskies, who allow a field goal percentage of only .379.
On the other side, the Chippewas head into the game with records of 3-6-1 ATS and 9-8 SU. The Chippewas are an excellent long-range shooting team with 172 three-point shots made (10.0 per game), ranking 23rd in Division I. The Chippewas rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 37th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.37.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Northern Illinois and Central Michigan played, Northern Illinois won, but Central Michigan still leads the head-to-head record over their most recent games, 6-4 SU. The Huskies hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-2-2. Neither Northern Illinois nor Central Michigan has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NIU, ATS Winner – NIU, O/U – Over
Notes
Northern Illinois is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
Northern Illinois is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Northern Illinois is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games when playing Central Michigan.
Northern Illinois is 7-12-2 ATS in its last 21 games when playing Central Michigan.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Northern Illinois’s last 8 games when playing Central Michigan.
Northern Illinois is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Central Michigan.
Central Michigan averages 77.7 points per game this season. Northern Illinois is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 63.8 points per game (ranked 25th).
Central Michigan averages 73.5 points per away game (ranked 91st). Northern Illinois allows 60.6 points per home game (ranked 38th).
Ranked eighth, the Northern Illinois Huskies have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 91.0 points per 100 possessions. The Central Michigan Chippewas rank 31st in offense, scoring 114.7 points in the same number of possessions.
The Central Michigan Chippewas average a field goal percentage of 44.5% this season. The Northern Illinois Huskies have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 44.5% or greater.
The Northern Illinois Huskies rank higher based on their field goal percentage (147th) than their effective field goal percentage (162nd). The Central Michigan Chippewas rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (69th) than their field goal percentage (149th).
Northern Illinois ranks 53rd in assists, registering 15.9 per game. Central Michigan performs worse at 169th with 13.6 assists per game.
Northern Illinois, the 26th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 41.4 rebounds per game. Central Michigan does worse, ranked 209th with 36.0.
Central Michigan ranks 200th in offensive rebounds, while Northern Illinois ranks at 39th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Central Michigan forces a turnover rate of 15.9%. When Northern Illinois turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an outstanding 12-2 record.
