Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Northern Illinois Huskies Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Northern Illinois vs Eastern Illinois NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Charleston.

Northern Illinois vs Eastern Illinois Prediction

Betting on today's Huskies and Panthers game? Catch the action at Groniger Arena in Charleston, IL, as the Panthers hosts this showdown at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 136.5 points, and Eastern Illinois is favored by -2 against Northern Illinois in a non-conference matchup.

Northern Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Northern Illinois Huskies at Eastern Illinois Panthers
Where: Charleston at Groniger Arena
Date: Friday, November 29th
Betting Odds EILL -2, NILL +111 | EILL -135 O/U 136.5

Huskies Preview: Can Northern Illinois Stun the Crowd at Groniger Arena?

Northern Illinois Huskies Recent Game

The Huskies fell 87-82 to Valparaiso on Wednesday, November 27th. Despite being +9.5 point underdogs, Northern Illinois kept it close on the road and covered the spread.

After trailing 41-39 at halftime, the Huskies scored 43 points in the 2nd half but allowed 46. The game’s total points of 169 exceeded the O/U line of 142.5.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Northern Illinois put up 82 points in their latest game, shooting 45.5% from the field and knocking down 10 of 22 from beyond the arc, also at 45.5%. Their effective field goal percentage was 54.5%, and they hit 73.3% of their free throws, going 22 for 30 from the line.

Nasir Muhammad led the way with 21 points, hitting 5 of 7 threes, while Quentin Jones added 20 points despite shooting just 1 of 6 from deep. Cooper Schwieger contributed 17 points and 7 rebounds in just 17 minutes, and Quaran McPherson pulled down 11 boards to go along with his 13 points.

Huskies Team Defense

Despite Northern Illinois holding their opponent to 38% shooting from the field, they still gave up 87 points. The Huskies allowed 17 two-point field goals on 39 attempts, a 43% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Northern Illinois' defense limited their opponent to 6 threes on 21 attempts, a 28% shooting percentage. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 44 times, where they converted 35 free throws, shooting 79%. The Huskies also gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Panthers Preview: Will the Panthers Come Through as Home Favorites?

Eastern Illinois Panthers Recent Game/Games

Eastern Illinois fell 81-53 to Valparaiso on Sunday, November 24th, in an away game. The Panthers entered as +6.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 134 fell short of the 142-point O/U line.

After trailing 35-29 at halftime, Eastern Illinois struggled in the 2nd half, scoring just 24 points while allowing 46.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Eastern Illinois struggled offensively in their last game, putting up just 53 points with a field goal percentage of 39.6%. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.8%, and they hit only 27.8% from beyond the arc, going 5-for-18. At the free-throw line, they connected on just 50%, making 10 of 20 attempts.

The Panthers managed only 7 assists, with Nakyel Shelton contributing 3 along with 20 points. Tyler Schmidt was perfect from the field, hitting 4-for-4, including 2-for-2 from three, while Justus McNair knocked down 4 threes on 6 attempts. Kooper Jacobi added 9 rebounds to go with his 13 points.

Panthers Team Defense

Eastern Illinois gave up 81 points in their last game, despite holding the opposing team to 38% shooting from the field. They allowed 45% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team making 14 of 31 shots.

From beyond the arc, Eastern Illinois allowed 10 threes on 31 attempts, a 32% shooting rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 25 times, where they hit 92% of their attempts. Eastern Illinois gave up 18 offensive rebounds.

Huskies vs Panthers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, Northern Illinois has averaged 67 points per game while allowing 81. The team's record in this stretch was 1-4 while going 3-2.
Across their last three home contests, Eastern Illinois has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 0-3, while averaging 60 points per game.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Huskies have a straight up record of 2-8. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-5.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Panthers have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.