Central Michigan will be in front of their home fans on Tuesday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-field advantage. They will take on the Northern Illinois Huskies at 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Central Michigan might have drawn first blood against Ball State last Saturday, but it was Ball State who got the last laugh. Central Michigan took a 24-17 hit to the loss column at the hands of Ball State. Central Michigan didn't live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.
Meanwhile, Northern Illinois had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 25.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three last Saturday. They walked away with a 20-13 victory over Eastern Michigan. The score was all tied up 10-10 at the break, but Northern Illinois was the (much) better team in the second half.
Northern Illinois' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Gavin Williams, who rushed for 80 yards on only seven carries.
With Central Michigan's defeat and Northern Illinois' win, both teams now sport identical 4-4 records.
While only Central Michigan took care of their fans the last time they played, neither team managed to cover. Looking ahead, Northern Illinois is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by two points. This contest might not be the best time to bet Central Michigan against the spread since they've let bettors down the last four times they've played.
Central Michigan beat Northern Illinois 35-22 when the teams last played back in November of 2022. Does Central Michigan have another victory up their sleeve, or will Northern Illinois turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.