Northern Illinois vs. UMass Prediction, Betting Odds & How To Watch

Northern Illinois may have a better record than UMass, but UMass arguably has more to play for.

NIU is 2-7 overall and is 1-4 in MAC play. The Huskies, after starting the year with a win over Holy Cross, lost six straight games. NIU did beat Ball State but then fell at Toledo 42-3 in the Huskies’ most recent game.

UMass, though, is 0-9 overall with five losses being against conference teams. Only two of those games, a seven-point decision against Buffalo and a 27-26 loss against FCS Bryant, have been decided by 10 points or less.

That means UMass is still searching for its first win in the Joe Harasymiak era. And with games against Ohio (6-4, 4-2) and Bowling Green (3-7, 1-5) left, this week may be the Minutemen’s best chance at not ending the 2025 season winless.

Northern Illinois vs. UMass Betting Odds

Northern Illinois is a -11.5 college football betting odds favorite against UMass, with the Over/Under being 43.5 as of this writing. The moneyline for Northern Illinois is -450, while it’s +340 for UMass.

Northern Illinois vs. UMass On TV

The matchup between Northern Illinois and UMass will be televised on ESPNU. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 12. 

The contest is taking place at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Northern Illinois vs. UMass Prediction

I predict UMass will win and therefore cover the 11.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 43.5 total points.

I think the Minutemen are desperate to not go down as one of the worst teams in FBS history with no wins. So that’s why I think they’ll overperform compared to how they’ve played this season.

UMass is last in the country in total offense (244.6 yards per game) and scoring offense (11.3 points per game) and bottom 10 in total defense (441.8 yards per game allowed) and scoring defense (36.78 points per game allowed). 

But it’s not like NIU has been stellar in any of those categories, either. The Huskies are outside of the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (12.2 PPG), scoring defense (24.3 PPG allowed), total offense (268 YPG), and total defense (354.9 YPG allowed). 

I expect UMass will start this game at home with a lot of energy. I also anticipate players on both sides of the ball will step up to help the Minutemen win their first game of the year.