Bowling Green Falcons vs Northern Illinois Huskies Matchup

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

Northern Illinois vs Bowling Green Prediction

Looking to win big? The Huskies and Falcons face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Falcons are hosting the game at Stroh Center in Bowling Green, OH. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 146.5 points, and Bowling Green is favored by -5.5 to win at home against Northern Illinois.

Northern Illinois vs. Bowling Green Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Northern Illinois Huskies at Bowling Green Falcons
Where: Bowling Green at Stroh Center
Date: Tuesday, February 4th
Betting Odds BOWLGR -5.5, NILL +200 | BOWLGR -246 O/U 146.5

Huskies Preview: Can the Huskies Offense Score Enough in Bowling Green?

Northern Illinois Huskies Recent Game/Games

The Huskies fell to 2-16 on the season after an 89-85 road loss to Toledo on Saturday. Despite being +14 point underdogs, Northern Illinois kept things closer than expected.

After trailing 50-35 at halftime, the Huskies rallied in the 2nd half, outscoring Toledo 50-39. The game’s total points of 174 exceeded the O/U line of 154.5.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Northern Illinois put up 85 points in their latest game, shooting 48.6% from the field and hitting 38.7% from beyond the arc, connecting on 12 of 31 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage stood at 57.1%, with a 56.4% success rate on two-point shots. They struggled at the free-throw line, making just 7 of 13 attempts (53.8%), and grabbed 5 offensive rebounds, dishing out 16 assists as a team.

Nasir Muhammad led the way from deep, hitting 6 of 8 threes at a 75% clip, finishing with 21 points and 5 assists. Sam Lewis added 23 points, while Quaran McPherson contributed 20 points, despite shooting just 2 of 8 from three. Sonny Wilson chipped in 19 points, and Quentin Jones added 18 points and 4 assists.

Huskies Team Defense

Despite Northern Illinois holding their opponent to 40% shooting, they still gave up 89 points. The Huskies allowed 22 field goals on 52 attempts from two-point range, a 42% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Northern Illinois' defense limited their opponent to just 13 three-point attempts, with 4 makes for 30% shooting. However, they sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 38 times, where they converted 33 free throws, an 86% success rate. The Huskies also gave up 14 offensive rebounds.

Falcons Preview: Will Bowling Green Come Through as Home Favorites?

Bowling Green Falcons Recent Game/Games

Bowling Green’s season continued to be a struggle after a 90-71 loss to Central Michigan on Saturday, dropping their record to 5-14. The Falcons were +6 point underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread.

Bowling Green trailed 49-33 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, as they were outscored 41-38. The game’s total points of 161 went over the pre-game line of 142.5.

Falcons Offense Breakdown

Bowling Green put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 44.6% from the field. They connected on 56.2% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 29.2% (7/24) of their threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, and they shot 70% from the free-throw line, making 14 of 20 attempts.

Kyler VanderJagt was a standout, hitting 6 of 7 threes and finishing with 25 points in 25 minutes, shooting 80% overall. Ugnius Jarusevicius added 21 points and 12 rebounds, though he made just 1 of 7 from deep. Anthony Pritchard contributed 15 points and 8 assists, while Javontae Campbell and Trey Thomas each added 15 points.

Falcons Team Defense

Bowling Green's defense struggled, giving up 90 points on 56% shooting. They allowed 70% shooting inside the arc, with opponents hitting 21 of 30 two-point attempts.

From three-point range, Bowling Green's opponents shot 40%, making 10 of 25 attempts. They also sent the other team to the line 22 times, where they converted 18 free throws (81%).

Huskies vs Falcons Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last three road contests, Northern Illinois has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 0-3, while averaging 75 points per game.
In their last three games at home, the Falcons have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 68 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Huskies have a strong record vs the spread going 5-0. Their straight up mark in these contests is 1-4.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Falcons have a straight up record of 5-5. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.