Thanks to Conference USA for keeping Tuesday night warm, but MACtion is back with all the mayhem that entails. Week 10 kicks us off in style as the 4-4 Northern Illinois Huskies travel to Mount Pleasant to take on the 4-4 Central Michigan Chippewas.
Who emerges victorious from what feels like a “must-win” game for both teams? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois prediction.
Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Northern Illinois -5 - Moneyline
Northern Illinois -218, Central Michigan +180 - Over/Under
44 points - Game time
7 p.m. ET - Location
Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, MI - Predicted Weather at Kick
28 degrees, 5-7 mph winds, intermittent cloud - How to Watch
ESPNU, FuboTV
Throwing some betting chips behind the Chippewas? Have the Huskies got you hurrying to your oddsmaker of choice? If you’re going to take advantage of the Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Northern Illinois comes into this MACtion clash as the favorite, which hasn’t always been an area where they’ve thrived this season. The Huskies are 2-2 when favored on the moneyline, and historically Central Michigan has a 32-25-1 advantage that includes a 35-22 win last year.
However, Northern Illinois is the form team, having won their last three after a difficult start. Our Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois prediction has more details, but we’re backing Thomas Hammock’s team to extend that streak to four. They’ve also covered the spread in three of their last four, and Central Michigan has only covered twice this year.
As a result, if you think the Huskies are going to get the better of the Chippewas, back them against the spread as well as straight up. All-bar-one of their four wins have been by more than the five-point line. Combining to go 8-8 covering the over, the total points line is a dangerous one to try and exploit — although our prediction has them creeping just over the 44-point line.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Central Michigan Depth Chart | Northern Illinois Depth Chart
Editor’s Note: At the time of publication, FanDuel was experiencing an outage and the DFS values were unknown. Once FanDuel updates their player values, we’ll update the data below.
- QB Jase Bauer, Central Michigan ($8,800)
- QB Bert Emanuel Jr., Central Michigan ($8,800)
- QB Rocky Lombardi, Northern Illinois ($8,400)
- RB Antario Brown, Northern Illinois ($9,800)
- RB Marion Lukes, Central Michigan ($7,600)
- RB Gavin Williams, Northern Illinois ($6,400)
- RB Myles Bailey, Central Michigan ($6,000)
- RB Christian Brown, Central Michigan ($5,000)
- RB Sam Hicks, Central Michigan ($4,800)
- RB BJ Harris, Central Michigan ($4,600)
- WR Jesse Prewitt III, Central Michigan ($7,300)
- WR Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois ($6,500)
- WR Kacper Rutkiewicz, Northern Illinois ($6,200)
- WR Tyson Davis, Central Michigan ($6,000)
- WR Grayson Barnes, Northern Illinois ($5,900)
- WR Chris Parker, Central Michigan ($5,500)
- WR Jalen Johnson, Northern Illinois ($5,400)
- WR Jalen McGaughy, Central Michigan ($5,200)
- WR Thomas Pannunzio, Central Michigan ($5,100)
- WR Stephan Bracey, Central Michigan ($5,000)
- TE Chris Carter, Northern Illinois ($5,200)
- TE Mitchell Collier, Central Michigan ($4,900)
There are two college football games on Tuesday to compile your DFS team from in Week 10. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “superflex” that can be any of the above. Or you can also select a tight end for the Superflex spot.
With the Toledo Rockets and Buffalo Bulls in MACtion alongside this game on Tuesday, there are some heavy fantasy hitters that are going to be coming from that game. However, that doesn’t mean you should abandon your Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois picks. Chippewas quarterback Jase Bauer’s dual-threat ability makes him a potential low-value Superflex add.
Northern Illinois running back Antario Brown should be in your plans. One of the highest fantasy scoring backs in the MAC, he’s struggled in the last two weeks after a monster performance against Akron but there’s reason to believe in a bounceback against a Central Michigan defense that’s been porous against the ground game during this 2023 college football season.
With neither team breaking double-digit passing touchdowns this season, the wide receivers might be worth a swerve in this game. That said, Jesse Prewitt is a top-five fantasy WR in the MAC and leads the team with four touchdowns. He’s not a high-volume target guy, but no one is in this game. Trayvon Rudolph has explosive potential that’s yet to be fully released this year.
Prediction for Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
Can the Chippewas chip away at the Northern Illinois defense and move to within striking distance of bowl eligibility? Or are the Huskies bringing both bark and bite as they seek to establish themselves in the MAC West?
Central Michigan has surprised some teams this season, taking the game to Michigan State early in their season opener while bringing down preseason Sun Belt favorites South Alabama. They have a pair of talented dual-threat quarterbacks, with Bauer unseating Bert Emanuel Jr. as the starter from the Notre Dame game.
Bauer’s ability to take over a game on the ground while being a slightly more accurate passer than his teammate means you have to account for him in multiple ways, and his seven rushing touchdowns are a testament to the way he can turn a game in the Chippewas favor.
That said, the Central Michigan offense lacks a multitude of talented playmakers, and Northern Illinois has the advantage behind QB Rocky Lombardi, RB Brown, and WR Rudolph. Meanwhile, their defense is far more solid than the Chippewas, allowing 8.5 points and 84.6 yards less per game.
A talented young secondary featuring Nate Valcarcel, Cyrus McGarrell, and Javaughn Byrd has the ability to force turnovers, and the Huskies have a distinct advantage in turnover margin compared to their opponents on Tuesday night.
Northern Illinois wins and edges close to gaining bowl eligibility for just the second time in five years.
Prediction: Central Michigan 21, Northern Illinois 27