Northern Illinois looks to cover the Huskies-Cardinals pointspread on Saturday and improve its overall 2-14 mark when they host Ball State in college basketball action.

The Huskies are 2-14 so far on the season, and 6-7 ATS vs. the number. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are 11-5 and 5-5-1 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Northern Illinois go 3-10 and the Cardinals go 4-7 on the totals.



View Ball State vs Northern Illinois Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to back visiting Ball State before tip-off in this one will find them as 11-point favorites.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Huskies - Cardinals odds would favor the Cardinals if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Northern Illinois is rated No. 282 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Ball State is at No. 176. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 70-49 win for the Cardinals.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Northern Illinois's No. 340-ranked offense, averaging 54.8 PPG, against a Cardinals defense that ranks No. 16 at 57.7 PPG. The Huskies field goal percentage has averaged 36.6% so far, less than the Cardinals marksmen have achieved on the year, 44% per game.

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Ball State owns the country's No. 18-rated mark, allowing 60.1 points per game on the highway. Northern Illinois, on the other hand, rates No. 338 in scoring at home.

Ball State won its last outing, a 73-52 result against Central Michigan on January 18. They covered in that game as a 1-point underdog. The battle between the Cardinals and Chippewas didn’t turn out to be much of a battle at all as Central Michigan was handed a 73-52 defeat on Wednesday at McGuirk Arena.

Northern Illinois lost its last outing, a 71-41 result against Toledo on January 18. They failed to cover in that game as an 8.5-point underdog. Northern Illinois was crushed on Wednesday, getting blown out by Toledo and falling by a 71-41 score at Savage Arena.


Ball State Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Akron are 2-8
After playing Central Michigan are 4-6
After a win are 8-2

Northern Illinois Huskies Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Kent State are 2-8
After playing Toledo are 2-8
After a loss are 2-8

A few Cardinals at Huskies trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ball State's last 7 games on the road
Ball State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Ball State is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Northern Illinois
Ball State is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Illinois's last 6 games when playing Ball State
Northern Illinois is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Ball State
Northern Illinois is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Ball State
Northern Illinois is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games at home


Next up:
Ball State home to Akron, Tuesday, January 24
Northern Illinois at Kent State, Wednesday, January 25