The Northern Illinois Huskies will be at Memorial A & C Center to play the Kent State Golden Flashes in a Mid-American matchup. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
The Golden Flashes fell to Toledo 82-67 on Saturday. Galal Cancer was the team’s leading scorer, recording 19 points. The Huskies, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 80-69 loss against Ohio on Saturday. Aaric Armstead played well, posting his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Golden Flashes come into this game 15-8 Straight Up (SU) and 8-11 Against The Spread (ATS).
In the other locker room, the Huskies have records of 10-8 ATS and 16-7 SU. The Huskies have controlled the glass with an average of 40.3 rebounds per game, 35th in the country. Switching gears to the Northern Illinois defense, the Huskies allow just 66.2 points per game, ranking them 42nd in the nation. Northern Illinois’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .393 from the field.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these conference rivals. Their previous game was a Golden Flashes victory, bumping their SU record to 8-2 over Northern Illinois in their most recent meetings. The Huskies lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1. Northern Illinois held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five game, while Kent State wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – NIU, ATS Winner – NIU
Notes
Kent State averages 74.4 points per game, placing the team just 121st in the nation. Northern Illinois ranks 42nd in points allowed, giving up 66.2 points per game.
Ranked 16th, the Northern Illinois Huskies have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 94.1 points per 100 possessions. The Kent State Golden Flashes rank 97th in offense, scoring 109.1 points in the same number of possessions.
Kent State has an average field goal percentage of 45.0%. Northern Illinois is 2-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Kent State Golden Flashes and the Northern Illinois Huskies both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Kent State is 205th and 127th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Northern Illinois ranks 226th and 217th in these categories.
Northern Illinois ranks 96th in assists, recording 14.8 per game. Kent State performs worse at 269th with 12.1 assists per game.
Kent State ranks 67th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Northern Illinois ranks 55th.
The Kent State Golden Flashes make an average of 5.6 steals per game. When the Northern Illinois Huskies allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 11-7.
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