Northern Illinois vs Massachusetts Prediction 11/12/2025 Today’s College Football Picks

Andrew Jett

5 hours ago

Sep 21, 2024; DeKalb, Illinois, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies cheerleaders perform during a timeout during the first half at Huskie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

MATCHUP	Huskies Northern Illinois	Minutemen Massachusetts
Team Records	2-7	0-9
Where	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, MA
When	Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Time	07:00 PM EST
TV	ESPNU

The Northern Illinois Huskies and the UMass Minutemen meet Wednesday in college football action from McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Here’s a Northern Illinois vs UMass prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Northern Illinois vs UMass pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Preview

The Huskies managed to beat Holy Cross in their opener this year, then fell to Maryland, Mississippi State, San Diego State, Miami-OH, Eastern Michigan and Ohio from there. NIU finally broke the streak with a 21-7 win over Ball State on October 25, hitting a 14-0 run in the second half. In that victory the Huskies put up 305 rushing yards, 5.4 yards per play, 17 first downs and 9-of-16 on third-down tries. The defense gave up 275 yards with 15 first downs and 4.2 yards per play on the other side in the win.

In their latest appearance on November 5 versus Toledo, NIU fell back into the loss column. The Huskies gave up points in every quarter—including 21 in the second alone—on the way to a 42-3 blowout road loss. Josh Hoist threw for 87 yards on 5-of-13 passing and Elijah Porter led the rush with just two totes for 21 yards. Leading receiver Rickey Taylor managed 69 yards on three catches in the defeat.

UMass Minutemen Betting Preview

Over on the Minutemen’s side, they’ve had absolutely zero luck in the win column this year. UMass has fallen in nine straight so far, losing to Temple, Bryant, Iowa, Missouri, Western Michigan, Kent State, Buffalo, Central Michigan and Akron in succession. In the October 25 loss to the Chippewas, the Minutemen gave up double-digit points in two of four quarters. The defense surrendered 502 total yards, 279 rush yards, 7.5 yards per play and 23 first downs, while the offense mustered a tepid 292 total yards with 4-of-17 on third-down tries.

Back on November 4 versus Akron it was more of the same for the Minutemen. Umass was only down by four points after the first quarter but failed to score from there in a 44-10 blowout road defeat. AJ Hairston threw for 54 yards and a score on 12-of-20 passing, and Grant Jordan paced the rush with 51 yards on seven carries. Leading receiver Jacquon Gibson had 35 yards on six receptions in the losing effort for the Minutemen as well.

Northern Illinois Huskies @ Massachusetts Minutemen Betting Trends: Week 12

Massachusetts Minutemen Player Prop Facts

Heading into Week 12, Keegan Andrews ranks 13th amongst qualified players for gross average yards per punt (46.7) this season.

Northern Illinois Huskies Player Prop Facts

Heading into Week 12, Dev’ion Reynolds ranks 17th amongst FBS players for kick return yards (375) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

Massachusetts has suffered the equal-most road losses by a margin of 15+ points of any FBS team this season (5).
Massachusetts has suffered the most road losses by a margin of 20+ points of any FBS team this season (5).
Northern Illinois ranks 135th among FBS teams for H2 points per game this season (5.9).
Northern Illinois ranks 135th among FBS teams for 1st downs this season (124).

Northern Illinois vs UMass Prediction

I’m leaning Northern Illinois but not touching this one. There’s very little to get excited about in a matchup between two teams struggling as this pair are. In any case, the Huskies notched another unremarkable loss against Toledo in their last outing, posting 203 total yards, 13 first downs and just 2-of-16 on third-down tries. The defense gave up 443 yards and 9-of-14 on third-downs, which would have been worse if not for the Rockets’ 10 penalties. Northern Illinois had scored 21 points in consecutive games prior to that loss, so the three points is something of a downer.

As for UMass, they managed just 169 total yards, 14 first downs, three lost fumbles and 2-of-12 on third downs in their latest loss to Akron. The Minutemen gave up 467 yards with 237 rushing yards on the other side in a game that wasn’t close. This week’s matchup may be fairly competitive, but there’s little reason to watch otherwise. Still, I like NIU to eke out a cover for what it’s worth.