Elon Phoenix vs Northern Illinois Huskies Matchup

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

Elon vs Northern Illinois Prediction

Planning on watching today's Phoenix and Huskies game? Catch the action at NIU Convocation Center in Dekalb, IL, as the Huskies hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 142.5 points, and Northern Illinois is favored by -1 at home against Elon.

Elon vs. Northern Illinois Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Elon Phoenix at Northern Illinois Huskies
Where: Dekalb at NIU Convocation Center
Date: Wednesday, November 20th
Betting Odds NILL -1, ELON -104 | NILL -119 O/U 142.5

Phoenix Preview: Can the Phoenix Offense Score Enough in Dekalb?

Elon Phoenix Recent Game/Games

Elon fell to Gardner-Webb 80-79 on Friday, November 15th. The Phoenix were +3.5 point underdogs going into the game but managed to cover the spread with the close loss. The total points for the game reached 159, surpassing the O/U line of 150.

Elon led 41-40 at halftime but couldn’t hold on, scoring 38 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. Despite the loss, the Phoenix showed they could compete on the road.

Phoenix Offense Breakdown

Elon's offense put up 79 points in their last game, shooting 48.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.4%. They connected on 57.6% of their two-point attempts and hit 34.8% from beyond the arc, making 8 threes on 23 attempts. At the free-throw line, the Phoenix went 20-for-28, good for 71.4%.

On the glass, Elon grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists. TK Simpkins and Nick Dorn led the team with 17 points each, while Darryl Simmons II knocked down 4 of 6 threes, finishing with 15 points. Anthony Selden contributed 13 points despite shooting just 25% overall and 16.7% from three.

Phoenix Team Defense

Elon’s defense gave up 80 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 40% from the field on 29 of 71 attempts. From two-point range, they allowed 18 makes on 42 shots, a 42% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, the opposition hit 11 of 29 threes, good for 37%. Elon also sent them to the line 29 times, where they converted 24 free throws, an 82% success rate. The Phoenix allowed 14 offensive rebounds.

Huskies Preview: Will Northern Illinois Live Up to Expectations at Home?

Northern Illinois Huskies Recent Game/Games

The Huskies fell to Bradley 76-60 on Saturday, November 16th. Despite being +19.5 point underdogs, Northern Illinois kept the game closer than expected. The total points for the game ended at 136, falling short of the 144.5 O/U line.

Northern Illinois trailed 43-33 at halftime and scored 27 points in the 2nd half while allowing 33. They managed to cover the spread, but the game stayed under the projected point total.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Northern Illinois struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 5 of 23 attempts for a 21.7% three-point shooting percentage. Their overall field goal percentage was 40%, with an effective field goal percentage of 43.6%. Inside the arc, they were more efficient, shooting 53.1% on two-point attempts.

Quentin Jones led the Huskies with 19 points, shooting 53.3% from the field, though he made just 2 of 7 from three-point range. Duke Deen contributed 16 points and 5 assists, hitting 2 of 3 from deep. Ahmet Jonovic was efficient inside, shooting 80% from the field and grabbing a team-high 7 rebounds.

Huskies Team Defense

Northern Illinois struggled defensively, giving up 76 points on 58% shooting from the field. They allowed 62% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 18 of 29 shots.

From beyond the arc, Northern Illinois gave up 7 threes on 14 attempts, a 50% success rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 19 free throws, shooting 79%.

Phoenix vs Huskies Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Phoenix have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 68 points per game in these contests.
In their last ten games at home, the Huskies have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 67 points per game in this stretch.
In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Phoenix have a straight up record of 2-8 and an ATS mark of 5-5.
Against the spread, the Huskies have put together of 2-3 in their last five games as the betting favorite. In these same games, they went 3-2 straight up.