It figures to be a low-scoring affair as the Northern Illinois Huskies (16-3) visit Akron to play the Zips (15-4). The game gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
The Zips won big over Miami (OH) 75-46 on Saturday. Josh Williams was the team’s high scorer with 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting. The Huskies, meanwhile, are coming off a 58-49 win over Toledo on Friday. Travon Baker led the game in scoring with 21 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
Akron is a six-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 136 points. The Zips enter the game with records of 15-4 Straight Up (SU) and 7-6 Against The Spread (ATS). The Zips are a dangerous three-point shooting team with 11.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. As for the Akron defense, teams have to fight for open shots against the Zips, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .398.
On the other side, the Huskies head into the game with records of 10-4 ATS and 16-3 SU. The Huskies are a force on the offensive glass, grabbing an average of 13.1 offensive rebounds per game. Northern Illinois’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .378 from the field.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Akron and Northern Illinois played, Northern Illinois won, but Akron still leads the head-to-head record, 6-4 SU, over their most recent matchups. However, Northern Illinois leads the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Akron held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last five meetings. Northern Illinois never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NIU, ATS Winner – NIU, O/U – Over
Notes
Akron is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
Akron is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games.
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Akron is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Northern Illinois.
Akron is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Northern Illinois.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Akron’s last 6 games when playing at home against Northern Illinois.
In its last game, Akron won by a margin of 29 points. Northern Illinois is 5-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Akron has a 4-1 record in blowouts.
The Akron Zips have a defensive rating of 96.0 (ranked 42nd), while the Northern Illinois Huskies have an offensive rating of 108.6 (ranked 107th).
The Akron Zips average a field goal percentage of 42.8% this season. The Northern Illinois Huskies have a winning 4-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 42.8% or greater.
The Akron Zips rank lower for their field goal percentage (247th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (101st), but the Northern Illinois Huskies have a better FG% ranking (180th) than eFG% ranking (190th).
Northern Illinois ranks 76th in assists, recording 15.4 per game. Akron performs worse at 101st with 14.8 assists per game.
Akron, the 98th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.1 per game. Northern Illinois does worse, ranked 127th with 3.8.
Akron ranks 122nd in offensive rebounds, while Northern Illinois ranks 33rd in defensive rebounds.
The Akron Zips make an average of 4.7 steals per game. When the Northern Illinois Huskies allow 4 or more steals, they are an outstanding 12-3.
