Northern Illinois vs Central Michigan Prediction 3/7/25 College Basketball Picks

The Northern Illinois Huskies and the Central Michigan Chippewas meet Friday in college basketball action from McGuirk Arena. Here’s a Northern Illinois vs Central Michigan prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Northern Illinois vs Central Michigan pick. We will examine: 

The Northern Illinois Huskies’ recent form and player performance

The Central Michigan Chippewas’ recent form and player performance 

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Northern Illinois Huskies

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Central Michigan Chippewas

Recent betting trends in games played between Northern Illinois and Central Michigan

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Northern Illinois vs Central Michigan game

Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Preview

It’s been a rough run for the Huskies this year, with only a few victories on the card so far. Northern Illinois won just four of their first dozen outings, then fell to Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio, Miami OH, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan before a win over Ball State. NIU has since hit the skids on an ugly losing streak, falling to Akron, Toledo, Bowling Green, Louisiana, Buffalo, Ball State, Akron, Eastern Michigan, Miami-OH, Western Michigan, and Bowling Green in that time. Overall that gives the Huskies a 5-25 overall record through 30 games so far this year. 

In their Bowling Green matchup on Tuesday, the Huskies came out of the first half with a five-point deficit. Northern Illinois fell further behind from there on a 35-27 run and took the loss at the end 71-58. Leading the team in scoring was Quentin Jones with 18 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists. James Dent added 13 points with seven rebounds and six assists, while Tsvet Sotirov had 11 points with four rebounds and three blocks in the defeat. 

Central Michigan Chippewas Betting Preview

Over on the Central Michigan side, they’ve had some scattered success this year but haven’t been able to stay above the .500 mark overall. The Chippewas went 5-3 to start the season, then hit the skids with losses to Valparaiso, Mississippi State, Arizona, Ohio, Akron, and Toledo in the next seven. After wins over Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, and Texas State in their next eight, CMU fell versus Kent State, Akron, and Ohio in succession. Since then it’s been a 3-1 run with wins over Western Michigan, Buffalo, and Ball State, however, improving the Chippewas’ record this year to 14-16 overall through 30 games. 

In the Ball State matchup on the road Tuesday, Central Michigan went into the locker room with a 39-22 deficit. The Chippewas woke up after halftime though, posting a 47-28 run for the comeback victory 69-67 in the end. Anthony Pritchard (seven rebounds; six assists) and Jakobi Heady (six rebounds; two steals) each had a team-high 18 points in the victory. Ugnius Jarusevicius added 13 points with six rebounds and one steal as well. 

Why the Central Michigan Chippewas will win

• Northern Illinois has lost each of its last 15 road games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Central Michigan has won each of its last three games against Northern Illinois.
• Central Michigan has won the first half in 11 of its last 14 games at McGuirk Arena.

Why the Northern Illinois Huskies will win

• The road team has won three of Northern Illinois’ last four games.
• Central Michigan has lost the first half in each of its last three games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Northern Illinois vs Central Michigan Prediction 

I’ll probably stay with Central Michigan, but the line’s too thick to mess with. The Chippewas didn’t look good in the first half during their win over Ball State this week, but they closed strong. CMU ended up shooting 49.1 percent from the field with a 33-26 rebounding edge, but did get a little sloppy with turnovers on 11 for 12 Cardinals points. Central Michigan has won three of their last four games, and they’ve scored 73 or more points in seven of their last eight outings. 

Back on January 18 when these teams last met, CMU secured a road win 71-66. The Chippewas played pretty well in that one with 48.3 percent shooting and a 44-26 advantage on the boards. That said, the turnovers need improvement (14 for 15 Huskies points). If CMU can keep better track of the ball in this rematch they should be fine. 

Andrew Jett's Pick: Central Michigan Chippewas -14