Northern Illinois vs Loyola Chicago Prediction 11/21/2025 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Northern Illinois Huskies and the Loyola Ramblers meet Friday in college basketball action from Gentile Arena. Here’s a Northern Illinois vs Loyola prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Northern Illinois vs Loyola 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 have appeared in five games so far this season. Their opener was against LA-Monroe and ended up being a 102-82 win. Gustav Winther (18 points; 10 rebounds) and Gianni Cobb (14 points; 10 assists) had double-doubles in the victory. In their second outing of the year, Northern Illinois faced Wisconsin. That one was a pretty rough road loss 97-72. JJ Taylor was the team leader with 17 points, and Jao Ituka had 13 points with five rebounds. The Huskies fell once again in their third game versus Grand Canyon by a score of 88-59. Leading the team this time was Daemar Kelly with 12 points and three assists. As for game four, NIU played Benedictine and rolled to a 117-62 blowout victory. Topping the team in that one was Daemar Kelly with 18 points. Makhai Valentine added 17 points with seven rebounds in the win as well.

On Tuesday versus Northern Iowa, the Huskies were within three points at halftime then got outscored 38-28 the rest of the way in a 70-57 loss. Dylan Ducommun led the team with 12 points and seven assists in the defeat. Daemar Kelly added 10 points and two rebounds.

Loyola Ramblers Betting Preview

Over on the Loyola side, they’ve also got five games in the books this year. The opener was a matchup versus Cleveland State. Loyola ended up taking the win 91-88 after a 41-37 run after the break. Miles Rubin (six rebounds; two assists), Kayde Dotson (three rebounds; four assists) and Deywilk Tavarez (two assists; 14 minutes) each posted 16 points along the way. In game two against Mercyhurst, the Ramblers trailed at the half and posted a 73-65 loss. Justin Moore led the way this time with 25 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Game three was another defeat; this one was 64-62 versus North Texas. The Ramblers’ top scorer was Chuck Love on his 12 points, seven boards and two assists. Last week versus Wichita State, the Ramblers lost another one. Loyola gave up 50 points in the first half during a 95-74 loss. Deywilk Tavarez had 16 points with three rebounds and two assists, and Chuck Love added 13 points.

Loyola’s losing streak extended to four games with a defeat at the hands of Colorado State on Sunday. The Ramblers were down by 12 points at halftime and didn’t get any closer in an 80-67 result. Justin Moore had 13 points, and Chuck Love also reached double-figures on 10 options and three rebounds in 26 minutes of action.

Northern Illinois Huskies @ Loyola Ramblers Betting Trends: November 21, 2025

Why the Loyola Ramblers will win

• Northern Illinois has lost 18 of its last 19 road games.
• Loyola (IL) has won 17 of its last 18 night games at Joseph J. Gentile Arena against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Loyola (IL) has won the first half in each of its last four games against the Mid-American Conference.

Why the Northern Illinois Huskies will win

• Loyola (IL) has lost each of its last four games against non-Conference opponents.

Northern Illinois vs Loyola Prediction

I might take a stab on Loyola but in reality I’m probably staying away. The Ramblers put up another pretty limp game versus Colorado State in their last outing despite shooting a nice 46.7 percent from the field and posting a 20-16 edge in the paint. Loyola did have 13 turnovers though, and gave up 46.3 percent shooting to the Rams on the other side. The Ramblers opened up with a nice effort versus Cleveland State in their lone win but since then they’ve been below 68 points in three of four games—with all four being losses. It’s hard to trust Loyola right now.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Loyola Ramblers -13.5