Buffalo Bulls vs Northern Illinois Huskies Matchup

ESPN+ will be handling the TV coverage for this week four college football matchup between the Buffalo Bulls and Northern Illinois Huskies. Kick-off is set for 3:30 ET at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb. The over/under line is at 43.5 points, and the Huskies are -14 point favorites at home. Both teams come in with a 2-0 record for the season.

Bulls vs. Huskies Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Buffalo Bulls at Northern Illinois Huskies
Where: Dekalb at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium
Date: Saturday, September 21st
Betting Odds NILL -14, BUF +446 | NILL -620 O/U 43.5

Bulls Preview:

Buffalo is now 2-1 for the season after a 34-3 victory over UMass. The Bulls, who were -3.5 point favorites, not only won but also covered the spread. The game’s over/under was set at 46 points, but the combined score of 37 points fell short, resulting in an under.

Buffalo took an early 7-0 lead and, after UMass added a field goal, the Bulls led 10-3 at halftime. Buffalo then dominated the third quarter, scoring 17 points, while their defense shut out UMass. The Bulls added another touchdown in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

Buffalo's offense was effective in their 34-3 win, racking up 316 total yards and 15 first downs. The Bulls' ground game contributed 131 yards and two touchdowns, while their passing attack added 185 yards and one score.

Quarterback C.J. Ogbonna completed 63.6% of his passes for 185 yards, finishing with a passer rating of 105.3. On the ground, Lamar Sperling led the way with 86 yards on 16 carries, and JJ Jenkins was the top receiver with 44 yards on two catches.

Bulls Team Defense

Buffalo's defense was dominant in their most recent game, holding UMass to just 3 points and 193 total yards. The Bulls' secondary was particularly effective, limiting UMass to 121 passing yards on 14 completions. Buffalo's run defense was equally strong, allowing just 72 yards on 37 carries. The Bulls' defense also came up with an interception in the game.

Huskies Preview:

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Antario Brown was a key player for Northern Illinois' offense in their 16-14 win, rushing for 99 yards on 20 carries. The Huskies' ground game was effective, gaining 190 yards on 45 attempts. In the passing game, Ethan Hampton completed 10 of 19 passes for 198 yards, with his top target being Antario Brown, who caught two passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.

Overall, Northern Illinois' offense put up 388 total yards, with 198 yards coming through the air. The Huskies picked up 16 first downs and found the end zone once through the air.

Huskies Team Defense

Coming off a game in which they allowed 580 total yards, Northern Illinois' defense will be looking to improve. The Huskies gave up 364 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground, but they managed to hold Notre Dame to 216 yards passing and 14 points. Overall, Northern Illinois allowed 27 first downs and 580 total yards.

Bulls vs Huskies Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five games away from home, the Buffalo Bulls have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 12 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last ten home contests, the Northern Illinois Huskies offense has averaged 29 points per game while allowing an average of 24. Northern Illinois posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 6-4 ATS.
The last ten games that Buffalo was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 3-7 straight up.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Northern Illinois Huskies have a straight up record of 5-5. But, their mark vs the spread was just 3-7.