Kent State Golden Flashes vs Northern Illinois Huskies Matchup

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

Kent State vs Northern Illinois Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Golden Flashes versus the Huskies? Tip off is at at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at NIU Convocation Center in Dekalb, IL. Kent State is favored by -12.5 in this Mid-American conference matchup the against Northern Illinois. The over/under for the game is set at 136.5 points.

Kent State vs. Northern Illinois Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Kent State Golden Flashes at Northern Illinois Huskies
Where: Dekalb at NIU Convocation Center
Date: Tuesday, January 7th
Betting Odds KENTST -12.5, KENTST -885 | NILL +562 O/U 136.5

Golden Flashes Preview: Can Kent State Pull Off a Road Win?

Kent State's season record dropped to 7-4 after a 75-67 home loss to Ball State on Saturday. The Golden Flashes were -10 favorites but failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 36-31 at halftime, Kent State couldn't close the gap, as both teams scored 36 points in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 142 went over the 137.5 O/U line.

Golden Flashes Offense Breakdown

Kent State struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 35.8% from the field and 26.5% from beyond the arc, finishing with 67 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 41.8%, and they managed 10 offensive rebounds and 13 assists.

VonCameron Davis led the way with 20 points, despite shooting 36.8% overall. Jermahri Hill contributed 18 points and 6 assists, while Mickey Pearson Jr. added 14 points and 9 rebounds, hitting 66.7% of his shots, including 2 of 3 from three-point range.

Golden Flashes Team Defense

Even though Kent State gave up 75 points, their defense held the opposing team to just 35% shooting from the field, with 24 made baskets on 67 attempts. Inside the arc, the other team shot 45%, converting 15 of their 33 two-point attempts.

Kent State also limited the damage from three-point range, where the other team shot just 26%, making 9 of 34 attempts. From the free-throw line, the opposing team hit 10 of 13, good for 76%. Kent State allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Huskies Preview: Can the Huskies Hold Strong at Home?

Northern Illinois fell to 1-9 on the season after a 75-71 loss to Eastern Michigan on Saturday. The Huskies were +6.5 point underdogs going into the game and managed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 146, just under the O/U line of 146.5.

NIU led 37-33 at halftime but were outscored 42-34 in the second half, continuing their struggles this season.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Northern Illinois put up 71 points in their last game, shooting 39.6% from the field. They connected on 43.5% of their threes, hitting 10 of 23 attempts, and were nearly perfect from the free-throw line, going 19 of 21 for 90.5%.

Da'Sean Nelson led the way with 32 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 60% from the field. Jalin Billingsley and James Dent Jr. each added 15 points, with Billingsley hitting 71.4% of his shots and Dent contributing 4 assists. Christian Henry also dished out 9 assists to go along with his 13 points.

Huskies Team Defense

Despite Northern Illinois allowing 75 points, they struggled to contain their opponent inside, giving up 59% shooting on two-point attempts, with 22 makes on 37 shots. However, they did a better job defending the perimeter, holding the opposing team to just 5 made threes on 23 attempts, a 21% shooting performance from beyond the arc.

The Huskies sent their opponent to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 16 free throws, shooting 72% from the stripe. Northern Illinois also gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Golden Flashes vs Huskies Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three games away from home, the Golden Flashes have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 52 points per game in these contests.
Across the Huskies last ten home games, the team averaged 65 points per game while allowing 81. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 1-9 straight-up.
Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Huskies have a straight up record of 0-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Golden Flashes have a strong straight up record of 2-1. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.