by Rod Pearson
Tuesday, Sep 17, 2024
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 21, 2024
Venue: Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, IL
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Buffalo +14, NIU -14; Over/Under: 43.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Buffalo +14, NIU -14; Over/Under: 43.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Buffalo +14, NIU -14; Over/Under: 43.5 points
Season Record
Buffalo Bulls: 2-1 (0-0) (5th place, MAC)
Northern Illinois Huskies: 2-0 (0-0) (2nd place, MAC)
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Recent Form
Buffalo Bulls: won their last game at home against the UMass Minutemen 34-3.
Northern Illinois Huskies: won their last game on the road against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 16-14.
Buffalo Bulls vs Northern Illinois Huskies Preview and Analysis
Buffalo is entering this game with a 2-1 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against UMass 34-3. CJ Ogbonna was the starting QB and he completed 14/22 passes for 185 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Lamar Sperling led the team in rushing yards with 86 and 1 TD. JJ Jenkins led the receivers with 44 receiving yards on 2 receptions and 1 TD. Shaun Dolac led the defense in that game with 8 solo tackles and 8 assisted tackles while Shaun Dolac and Khalil Murdock each led the defense in sacks with 1. Marquis Cooper came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Northern Illinois is entering this game with a 2-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Notre Dame 16-14. Ethan Hampton was the starting QB and he completed 10/19 passes for 198 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Antario Brown led the team in rushing yards with 99. Antario Brown led the receivers with 126 receiving yards on 2 receptions and 1 TD. Christian Fuhrman led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while Devonte O'Malley led the defense in sacks with 2. Christian Fuhrman and Amariyun Knighten each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
Buffalo vs Northern Illinois Prediction
The current betting odds have Northern Illinois listed as a 14 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Northern Illinois has looked really good in their games this season with their 2-0 record overall and they already have a staple win of the season. They smashed a team from the FCS in their season opener and now they are coming off a road win against Notre Dame in their last one. This could have been a let down spot for NIU, but they had a bye week last week so they will be prepared for this game with the extra week and will use that momentum from their win against Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Buffalo has looked good in their games this season with their 2-1 record overall, but they haven't really been tested yet. Their wins were against a team from the FCS and UMass who has lost a lot of talent and hasn't been good for years. Their only loss this season was in their only road game played, and they failed to even score in a 38-0 loss to Missouri. Missouri is a really good ranked team this season, but that is no excuse considering the upset road win over Notre Dame for Northern Illinois. The defense is a lot better on this NIU team and they are going to make it really hard on Buffalo to score here. NIU also has a really good offense that will put up points at home against this weaker Buffalo defense. The best way to place a bet here is on Northern Illinois to cover the spread in this game.
Buffalo Northern Illinois Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 21, 2024 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Northern Illinois 31 Buffalo 10.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Buffalo Bulls: 6-5 ATS in the 1st quarter of their last 11 games. 11-1 to the under in their last 12 games. 5-1 to the 1st half under in their last 6 road games.
Northern Illinois Huskies: 5-7 ATS in the 1st half of their last 12 games. 6-1 to the under in their last 7 home games. 7-4 to the 1st quarter under in their last 11 games.
Key Injuries
Buffalo Bulls: J. Oliver (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. McNeil (ATH) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. King (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. N. McMillan (WR) Questionable - Knee. P. Clacks (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. E. Pleasant (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Northern Illinois Huskies: J. Macon (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Lewis (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Crowell (DT) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Akers (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Seibert (K) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Thomas (DE) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“It’s a good day to be a Bull.” - Pete Lembo after his team’s win against UMass in their last game.
“We didn’t need luck. That was our theme. I didn’t think we needed luck. We just need to play our best. It wasn’t the cleanest for us, but we played hard for four quarters and stayed together. They worked together, they believed, and they made enough plays to win a game. This is a program-changing type win, no different than when we beat Alabama a while ago." - Thomas Hammock after his team’s win against Notre Dame in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Buffalo Bulls
WR McMillan, Nik
WR Johnson, Taji
WR Snow, Victor
TE Orlando, Jake
QB Ogbonna, C.J.
RB Henderson, Al-Jay
Northern Illinois Huskies
WR Thompson, Cam
WR McElroy, Andrew
WR Rudolph, Trayvon
TE Barnes, Grayson
QB Hampton, Ethan
RB Brown, Antario
FB Lampe, Brock
Statistical Leaders
Buffalo Bulls
Passing: C. Ogbonna (435)
Rushing: J. Barksdale (184)
Receiving: V. Snow (107)
Touchdowns: N. McMillan (1)
Northern Illinois Huskies
Passing: E. Hampton (526)
Rushing: A. Brown (168)
Receiving: A. Brown (171)
Touchdowns: T. Rudolph (2)
Coaches:
Buffalo Bulls: Pete Lembo (1st season)
Northern Illinois Huskies: Thomas Hammock (6th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
