The Valparaiso Crusaders will look to pick up a win while covering the spread when they take on the Huskies in Northern Illinois at NIU Convocation Center on Tuesday in college basketball action.

This season, the Huskies are 0-10 overall and 3-5 ATS ATS, while the Crusaders are 7-4 and 5-3 ATS against the number. As for the totals, Northern Illinois boasts a 1-7 on the OU, and Valparaiso is 5-3.



View Valparaiso vs Northern Illinois Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Huskies are listed as 12.5-point underdogs at most sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 321-ranked Huskies and the No. 94-rated Crusaders in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 73-49 win for the Crusaders on Tuesday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Northern Illinois's No. 341 nationally ranked offense (53.3 points per game) against a Crusaders defense that sits as the No. 229 at 69.5 PPG. The Huskies have been averaging 34.3% from the field, less than the Crusaders have managed so far this season (48.7% on average).

Defensively, Valparaiso features the nation's No. 279-rated defense on the road, allowing 78 points per game. Northern Illinois, meanwhile, comes in at No. 337 nationally in scoring at home.

Valparaiso lost its last outing, an 82-80 result against Oakland on December 17. They failed to cover in that game as a 4-point favorite. The Crusaders endured an 82-80 loss at the hands of the Grizzlies on Saturday, despite a 22-point effort from Kevin Van Wijk at Athletics-Recreation Center.

Northern Illinois was a 62-49 loser in their most recent outing at home against Southern Illinois. They failed to cover the 4–point spread as underdogs. Abdel Nader scored 14 points in a futile effort to lead the Huskies to a win (they lost 62-49 to Southern Illinois at NIU Convocation Center on Saturday).


Valparaiso Crusaders Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 6-4
Before playing IUPUI are 7-3
After playing Oakland are 7-3
After a loss are 8-2

Northern Illinois Huskies Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
Before playing Eastern Michigan are 6-4
After playing Southern Illinois are 1-4
After a loss are 0-10

A few Crusaders at Huskies trends to consider:
Valparaiso is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Northern Illinois is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Northern Illinois is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home


Next up:
Valparaiso at IUPUI, Friday, December 23
Northern Illinois home to Eastern Michigan, Saturday, January 7