Kent St. Golden Flashes vs
Northern Illinois HuskiesPredictions & Preview

Kent State Golden Flashes Favored to Beat Northern Illinois Huskies in MAC Showdown at NIU Convocation Center

The Kent State Golden Flashes (9-4, 0-1 MAC) will be facing off against the Northern Illinois Huskies (4-9, 0-1 MAC) at the NIU Convocation Center in a Mid-American Conference game. Kent State is coming off a loss to Ball State in their MAC opener, while Northern Illinois fell to Eastern Michigan in their first conference game. Both teams have struggled in recent games, with Kent State losing two of their last three and Northern Illinois dropping three of their last four. Despite the Huskies' home-court advantage, Kent State is favored to win with a current line of -12.5. Neither team has any players listed on their injury reports. Sportsbook promo codes may be available when shopping for the best odds.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Golden Flashes -700 | Huskies +480
• Spread: Golden Flashes -12.5 (-110) | Huskies +12.5 (-110)
• Total: Over/Under 136.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Kent St. will win straight-up is 88%.

Kent St. vs Northern Illinois Stats

Kent St. Golden Flashes

In summary, the Kent State Golden Flashes have a strong defense, ranking 32nd in points allowed per game and 20th in defense overall. Offensively, they struggle with shooting percentages, ranking low in both overall field goal percentage and three-point percentage. The team is led by VonCameron Davis in scoring and Cli’Ron Hornbeak in rebounds. Kent State has a winning record of 8-4 and performs well against the spread at 6-4. In terms of defense, they are proficient at limiting opponent field goal percentages but struggle with defending against three-point shots. The Golden Flashes also have a positive assist-to-turnover ratio on both offense and defense. Overall, they have a power ranking of 111 and are showing potential for success in the NCAAB.

Northern Illinois Huskies Analysis

The Northern Illinois Huskies have an average of 72.7 points per game and allow an average of 74.5 points per game, ranking 247th and 265th respectively. They shoot 41.5% overall and 32.3% from 3-point territory while holding opponents to 43.4% shooting overall and 35.7% from 3-point territory. Quentin Jones leads the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game and James Dent Jr follows with 12.1 points per game. Dent also leads in assists and rebounds. The team has a power ranking of 343 and is #254 for offense and #262 for defense. The Huskies have a record of 4-9 and 4-6 ATS. They have solid shooting percentages and rebounding numbers but struggle on defense, particularly in defending the 3-pointer.

Kent State's Strong Defense and Efficient Offense Poised to Outplay Northern Illinois

Kent State has been averaging 69.5 points per game on 39.9% shooting, with a strong emphasis on defensive play by holding opponents to 64.5 points per game on 41.6% shooting. On the other hand, Northern Illinois scores an average of 72.7 points per game but struggles defensively, allowing opponents to score an average of 74.5 points per game with a 35.7% shooting accuracy from beyond the arc. Despite Northern Illinois' higher scoring average, their shooting percentage is lower at 41.5%. When facing off against Kent State's methodical offense that utilizes the shot clock effectively, Northern Illinois is likely to score below their average due to fewer possessions and poor shooting. Notably, Kent State has covered the spread in nine of their last 13 games, while Northern Illinois has only covered the spread in two out of their last seven games.

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