The Northern Illinois Huskies (6-6) look to end their losing streak in bowl games when they take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-6) on Saturday in the 2023 Camellia Bowl. Northern Illinois has made seven straight bowl appearances without recording a victory after defeating Arkansas State 38-20 in the 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl. That triumph gave the Huskies a 7-1 all-time record against the Red Wolves, whose last trip to a bowl game resulted in a 34-26 win against FIU in the 2019 Camellia Bowl.
Kickoff at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. is scheduled for noon ET. The Red Wolves are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 54.5. Before making any Northern Illinois vs. Arkansas State picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. The model enters bowl season a profitable 13-9 on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Arkansas State vs. NIU and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for NIU vs. Arkansas State:
- Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois spread: Red Wolves -2.5
- Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois over/under: 54.5 points
- Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois money line: Red Wolves -143, Huskies +120
- ARKST: The Red Wolves are 4-1 against the spread in their last five contests
- NIU: The Huskies are 1-6 ATS in their last seven bowl games
- Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Arkansas State can cover
The Red Wolves gained only 42 yards on the ground in a 35-21 loss at Marshall in their regular-season finale but have two running backs that have gained more than 500 yards on the season. Redshirt sophomore Ja'Quez Cross leads the team with 688 yards and seven touchdown runs, four of which were recorded in his last two games. Redshirt junior Zak Wallace, who didn't play against the Thundering Herd due to an injury but hopes to return Saturday, has rushed for 556 yards and six TDs in his first year with Arkansas State after spending the previous four at UT Martin.
The Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, quarterback Jaylen Raynor has added 324 yards and five touchdowns on the ground while throwing for 2,300 yards and 15 scores. Raynor hopes to regain the form he had early this season, as he made 10 TD passes over his first three appearances but just three in his last five outings. Redshirt junior wideout Courtney Jackson leads the Red Wolves with 658 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches, including one in the loss to Marshall in which he also scored on a 60-yard punt return. See which team to pick here.
Why Northern Illinois can cover
As their ground attack goes, so go the Huskies as they are 6-0 this season when outrushing their opponents and 0-6 when they don't. Northern Illinois likely will have the advantage on the ground Saturday against an Arkansas State squad that is 118th in the nation against the run with an average of 183.8 yards allowed. The Huskies ran for 243 yards along with three touchdowns in their regular season-ending 37-27 victory at Kent State after racking up 287 yards in a 24-0 triumph over Western Michigan a week earlier.
Antario Brown is second in the MAC with 1,164 yards, which ranks him 19th in the nation, and tied for fourth with 10 rushing TDs. The junior began a stretch of nine scoring runs over his last seven games with four against Akron on Oct. 7, when he gained a career-high 280 yards on just 13 carries. Redshirt junior Gavin Williams is coming off the first 100-yard performance of his career as he recorded 103 versus Kent State, while redshirt senior quarterback Rocky Lombardi is second on the Huskies with six rushing touchdowns. See which team to pick here.
How to make Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 65 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 60% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois, and which side of the spread hits over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Northern Illinois vs. Arkansas State spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
