Fresno State Bulldogs vs Northern Illinois Huskies Matchup

Check out our free Northern Illinois Huskies vs Fresno State Bulldogs pick and preview for this CFB Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game in Boise. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this Famous Idaho Potato Bowl CFB matchup.

At 2:30 ET on Monday, December 23rd, the Northern Illinois Huskies and Fresno State Bulldogs will face off at Albertsons Stadium in Boise. This matchup is being played on a neutral site, and the game is being broadcast on ESPN. The over/under line is currently sitting at 42 points. The Huskies are the slight -1.5-point favorites in what should be a close game, as the money line odds are +107 for the Bulldogs and -128 for the Huskies. This is the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and Northern Illinois comes in with a 7-5 record, while Fresno State is 6-6 on the season.

Huskies vs. Bulldogs Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Northern Illinois Huskies at Fresno State Bulldogs
Where: Boise at Albertsons Stadium
Date: Monday, December 23rd
Betting Odds NILL -1.5, NILL -128 | FREST +107 O/U 42

Huskies Preview:

Northern Illinois enters Week 1 against Fresno State with a 7-5 record. They’ve gone 3-1 at home and 3-3 on the road this season. The Huskies have been favored in six of their 12 games, posting a 4-2 record as the favorite.

Their ATS record stands at 4-5-1, with a 4-2 mark on the road and 0-3-1 at home. As favorites, they are 1-4-1 against the spread, but they’ve gone 3-1 ATS as underdogs.

This season, Northern Illinois’ over/under record is 4-6, with their games averaging 42.7 points. Their average over/under line is 44.9 points, and this week’s line is set at 42 points.

Huskies Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 1, Northern Illinois ranks 104th in our offensive power rankings, averaging 24.2 points per game. Their passing game has struggled, with just 176.1 yards per game, placing them 116th nationally. Ethan Hampton, their quarterback, has thrown for 1,600 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, with a passer rating of 84.

The Huskies are 12th in rushing attempts, averaging 41.8 per game, and they are 20th in rushing yards, with 208.6 per game. Gavin Williams leads the team with 741 rushing yards, averaging 5 yards per carry. Northern Illinois is converting 43.5% of their third-down attempts, ranking 33rd in the nation.

Huskies Team Defense

Northern Illinois' defense has been strong this season, ranking 12th nationally by allowing just 18.4 points per game. In their recent game, they gave up only 16 points, while holding Central Michigan to 204 total yards, including 92 passing yards and forcing one interception.

Opponents have averaged 113.2 rushing yards per game on 31.5 attempts against Northern Illinois, while quarterbacks have managed a 54.2% completion rate and a 77.3 passer rating, averaging 169.2 passing yards per game.

Bulldogs Preview:

Their ATS record stands at 4-5-1, with a 4-2 mark on the road and 0-3-1 at home. As favorites, they are 1-4-1 against the spread, but they’ve gone 3-1 ATS as underdogs.

This season, Northern Illinois’ over/under record is 4-6, with their games averaging 42.7 points. Their average over/under line is 44.9 points, and this week’s line is set at 42 points.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Fresno State’s offense has been centered around their passing game, ranking 18th in completions and averaging 244.7 yards per game. They are 56th in scoring, with 26.6 points per game, and we have them 93rd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 1.

Mikey Keene has thrown for 2,887 yards and has a 70.4% completion rate. He has 18 touchdowns but also 11 interceptions, and his passer rating is 95. Mac Dalena leads the receivers with 941 yards and eight touchdowns. The run game has struggled, averaging 97.4 yards per game.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Fresno State's defense allowed 20 points in their recent 20-13 loss to UCLA, giving up one rushing and one passing touchdown. They held UCLA to 76 rushing yards on 31 attempts but allowed 289 passing yards. Overall, the defense gave up 365 total yards and forced no turnovers.

On the season, Fresno State's defense is ranked 45th nationally, allowing 24.6 points per game. They’ve given up 139.1 rushing yards per game and 217 passing yards, with opponents completing 54.5% of their passes, which ranks 15th-lowest in the country.

Huskies vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, Northern Illinois has averaged 21 points per game while allowing 20. The team's record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
Through their last five home contests, the Fresno State Bulldogs offense has averaged 23 points per game while allowing an average of 31. Fresno State posted an overall record of 2-3 while going 2-2-1 ATS.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Fresno State Bulldogs have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-4.
Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Northern Illinois Huskies have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 1-4.