MAC foes will battle when the Northern Illinois Huskies (7-6) square off with the Kent State Golden Flashes (6-7) at Convocation Center. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 150 points with Northern Illinois set as a 3-point favorite. Action begins at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 2, 2018.
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Northern Illinois Huskies Free Preview
The last time the Golden Flashes played, they fell to the Albany Great Danes, 78-68. With 20 points on 8-for-27 shooting, Jaylin Walker was the top scorer from either team. Albany did a fantastic job of making free throws (25-32; 78.1 percent). Kent State, on the other hand, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 45.2 (above their season average of 33.7).
The Huskies are trying to rebound after their 98-75 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes in their last outing. Eugene German was Northern Illinois leading scorer with 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Iowa had a much better free throw rate (0.226 vs. 0.101). Northern Illinois, meanwhile, held the Hawkeyes to an offensive rebounding percentage of 24.1 (below their season average of 37.3).
Kent State appears to have an advantage on the offensive glass in this matchup. The Golden Flashes currently rank 54th in offensive rebounding percentage (34.7 percent), while Northern Illinois ranks 248th in defensive rebounding percentage (69.5 percent).
Of Kent State’s 8 games that accepted bets, four have finished over the projected point total, while 5 of Northern Illinois 9 games have finished over the O/U total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Huskies have a sizable advantage. They are 7-6 SU and 5-4 ATS, while the Golden Flashes are 6-7 SU and 3-5 ATS.
This is the first time these teams will meet this year, after splitting two games last season. In the last matchup, the Golden Flashes won 73-66. Kent State had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (30.6 vs. 21.2). Northern Illinois, meanwhile, had a better turnover percentage (16.4 vs. 16.5).
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Northern Illinois Huskies Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Kent State, ATS Winner – Kent State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Golden Flashes average 12.8 assists per game, which ranks 167th in the NCAA. The Huskies rank 190th in assists allowed per game (15.2).
- Northern Illinois is fifth in the NCAA with 4.2 steals allowed per game while Kent State is 26th with 5.0 steals allowed per game.
- Kent State is 1-4 ATS on the road with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- Northern Illinois is 2-1 ATS at home with 2 unders and 1 over.
- Kent State ranks 150th in three pointers attempted per game (21.8) while Northern Illinois ranks 265th (16.2).
- The Golden Flashes average 3.7 blocks per game, which ranks 87th in the NCAA. The Huskies rank 159th in blocks allowed per game (5.0).
- Kent State ranks 144th in rebounds per game (36.1) while Northern Illinois ranks 178th in rebounds allowed per game (36.8).
Bettings Trends:
- Northern Illinois is 3-1 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Kent State is 1-3 ATS with 3 overs and 1 under.
- The Huskies have been outscored by an average of 6.8 points in their last five games. For the season, Northern Illinois has defeated opponents by an average of 2.5 points.
- During their last five games, the Golden Flashes have scored an average of 68.0 points per game (6.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 79.2 points per game (6.9 above their season average).
