Northern Illinois Huskies vs UMass Minutemen Matchup

Check out our free UMass Minutemen vs Northern Illinois Huskies pick and preview for this CFB week 6 game in Dekalb. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 6 CFB matchup.

The Northern Illinois Huskies are the heavy favorite in this week six non-conference matchup against the UMass Minutemen, with the point spread set at -17.5. Kick-off is scheduled for 12:00 ET at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb. The over/under line is currently at 44 points. The game can be seen on CBSS. The Huskies are 2-2 on the season, while UMass comes in with a 1-4 record.

Minutemen vs. Huskies Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: UMass Minutemen at Northern Illinois Huskies
Where: Dekalb at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 5th
Betting Odds NILL -17.5, UMASS +594 | NILL -929 O/U 44

Minutemen Preview:

UMass enters Week 6 with a 1-4 record, facing Northern Illinois on the road. They rank 129th in our power rankings and have just a 0.1% chance of becoming bowl-eligible this season.

The Minutemen have been favored in only one game this season, and their average scoring margin is -11.8 points per game. Against the spread, they are 1-2, going 1-1 on the road and 0-1 at home.

This week’s over/under line is set at 44 points. UMass games have averaged 49.8 points, with their average over/under line at 48.1 points. Their over/under record for the season is 1-2.

Minutemen Offense Breakdown

UMass heads into week 6, averaging 19 points per game, placing them 82nd in the nation. Our power rankings have them 96th. They are 5th in rushing attempts, averaging 42.2 carries per game, but only 137.2 rushing yards per game.

Jalen John leads the team with 210 rushing yards, averaging 3 yards per carry, and has one touchdown. Taisun Phommachanh has thrown for 1,017 yards, with five touchdowns and three interceptions, and a passer rating of 82. Jakobie Keeney-James has 406 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Minutemen Team Defense

UMass's defense has allowed an average of 30.8 points per game this season, including 23 points in their recent matchup against Miami (OH). In that game, they gave up 349 total yards, with 168 rushing yards on 36 attempts and 181 passing yards, while also forcing an interception.

Opponents have averaged 124.6 rushing yards per game and 187.8 passing yards against UMass. Quarterbacks have completed 53.4% of their passes, ranking UMass 23rd in the nation in that category. On average, opposing offenses have attempted 30 rushes and 25 passes per game against the Minutemen.

Huskies Preview:

UMass enters Week 6 with a 1-4 record, facing Northern Illinois on the road. They rank 129th in our power rankings and have just a 0.1% chance of becoming bowl-eligible this season.

The Minutemen have been favored in only one game this season, and their average scoring margin is -11.8 points per game. Against the spread, they are 1-2, going 1-1 on the road and 0-1 at home.

This week’s over/under line is set at 44 points. UMass games have averaged 49.8 points, with their average over/under line at 48.1 points. Their over/under record for the season is 1-2.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Northern Illinois enters week 6 averaging 26.8 points per game, placing them 64th nationally. They rank 75th in our offensive power rankings. Their ground game has been the focal point, with 42.8 rushing attempts per game, ranking 27th, and they average 198 rushing yards per game.

Antario Brown leads the rushing attack with 355 yards, averaging 4 yards per carry, and has scored two touchdowns. Quarterback Ethan Hampton has thrown for 879 yards and seven touchdowns, with three interceptions, and holds a passer rating of 93.

Huskies Team Defense

Northern Illinois' defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 22nd nationally by allowing just 19 points per game. They’ve been particularly effective against the run, giving up only 91 rushing yards per game, which ranks 19th in the country. Opponents have averaged 145.5 passing yards per game against them, the 13th-lowest mark nationally.

In their recent game against NC State, the defense allowed just 176 total yards, including 68 rushing yards on 26 attempts and 108 passing yards. They also gave up 11 first downs and forced no interceptions in the 24-17 loss.

Minutemen vs Huskies Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, UMass has averaged 18 points per game while allowing 31. The team's record in this stretch was 1-4 while going 4-1.
Northern Illinois has played well in their previous five home games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 31 points per game while allowing 23. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the UMass Minutemen have a strong record vs the spread going 2-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 0-3.
In their last five contests as the favorite, Northern Illinois has a poor record vs the spread going 2-3. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 3-2.