The MAC Championship Game between the Northern Illinois Huskies and the Ohio Bobcats will be played Friday night at a neutral location, Ford Field in Michigan.
Both teams finished the regular season 9-3 SU and 5-7 ATS. Northern Illinois has won seven straight since starting the season off 2-3 SU.
Quarterback Chandler Harnish rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown in Northern Illinois’ win over Eastern Michigan last week.
The Bobcats sit at 9-3 (5-7 ATS) on the season; in comparison, the Huskies are currently 9-3 (5-7 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Ohio is 7-5 OU, and Northern Illinois is 7-5 OU.
View Northern Illinois vs Ohio Odds and Stats.
Betting Line: The Bobcats were listed as 4.5-point underdogs at sportsbooks on the Sportsbook college football line, but it moved to -3 by Friday at Sportsbook and other top online sportsbooks. The total was a whopping 71 with the best OVER line a point lower at Sportsbook at 70, as of Friday morning.
Power Rankings / Prediction: According to the Power Rankings here at OddsShark it's the No. 34-rated Bobcats and the No. 74-rated Huskies in this matchup. Predictive formulas point to a 41-39 win for the Bobcats on Friday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Ohio's No. 35-ranked offense (31.9 PPG) against a Huskies defense that ranks No. 94 at 32 PPG. The Bobcats passing attack has averaged 250.7 yards per game, more than the Huskies give up through the air (239.6 YPG on average).
Defensively, the Huskies feature the league's No. 80-rated road run defense, allowing 188.2 yards per game. Ohio, meanwhile, ranks No. 33 in rushing offense at home.
Northern Illinois was a 18-12 Sportsbook in its last match at home against Eastern Michigan. They failed to cover the 17.5–point spread as favorites, while the total score of 30 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.
Ohio won its last outing, a 21-14 result against Miami (Ohio) on November 22. Ohio failed to cover in that game as a 7.5-point favorite, while the 35 combined points took the game UNDER the total.
Northern Illinois Huskies Trends:
When playing in December are 2-4
When playing on turf are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 7-3
When favored on the road are 7-3
Ohio Bobcats Trends:
When playing in December are 0-3
When playing on turf are 7-3
After outgaining opponent are 8-2
When an underdog at home are 5-5
A few Huskies at Bobcats trends to consider:
Northern Illinois is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Northern Illinois is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Ohio
Ohio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Ohio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Northern Illinois
Ohio is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
