Who's Playing

Northern Illinois @ Central Michigan

Current Records: Northern Illinois 11-17; Central Michigan 10-18

What to Know

The Northern Illinois Huskies and the Central Michigan Chippewas are set to square off in a Mid-American matchup at 2 p.m. ET Feb. 25 at McGuirk Arena. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W.'

The Huskies came up short against the Ohio Bobcats on Tuesday, falling 77-68.

Meanwhile, CMU has to be aching after a bruising 63-35 defeat to the Buffalo Bulls on Tuesday. The Chippewas were surely aware of their 13-point disadvantage in the point spread, but the foreknowledge did nothing to prevent the result.

Barring any buzzer beaters, NIU is expected to win a tight contest Saturday. The odds have been favorable for them against the spread on the road this season, even if it's been tough sledding overall. They are 11-5 ATS in away games but only 15-11 all in all.

NIU is now 11-17 while CMU sits at 10-18. A couple numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: NIU is stumbling into the contest with the 40th most points allowed per game in college basketball, having given up 74.8 on average. The Chippewas have experienced some struggles of their own as they are 20th worst in college basketball in points per game, with only 65.3 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 2 p.m. ET
  • Where: McGuirk Arena -- Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $25.00

Odds

The Huskies are a 3-point favorite against the Chippewas, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 3-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Northern Illinois have won seven out of their last 13 games against Central Michigan.

  • Jan 10, 2023 - Northern Illinois 73 vs. Central Michigan 54
  • Jan 29, 2022 - Central Michigan 69 vs. Northern Illinois 63
  • Mar 05, 2021 - Northern Illinois 79 vs. Central Michigan 74
  • Feb 22, 2020 - Northern Illinois 82 vs. Central Michigan 81
  • Jan 07, 2020 - Central Michigan 68 vs. Northern Illinois 67
  • Mar 05, 2019 - Northern Illinois 89 vs. Central Michigan 86
  • Jan 15, 2019 - Central Michigan 78 vs. Northern Illinois 69
  • Feb 13, 2018 - Central Michigan 80 vs. Northern Illinois 72
  • Jan 30, 2018 - Central Michigan 81 vs. Northern Illinois 67
  • Feb 21, 2017 - Northern Illinois 89 vs. Central Michigan 66
  • Jan 07, 2017 - Northern Illinois 87 vs. Central Michigan 83
  • Feb 23, 2016 - Central Michigan 76 vs. Northern Illinois 64
  • Jan 19, 2016 - Northern Illinois 75 vs. Central Michigan 70