The Northern Illinois Huskies will look to stay perfect against the Chicago State Cougars when they meet in nonconference action on Monday afternoon. The Huskies (2-6), who have won all seven previous meetings against Chicago State, have won just one of their past seven games overall. The Cougars (3-6), who are 0-1 against MAC opponents this season, have dropped six of seven after starting the season 2-0. Northern Illinois posted a 64-54 home win over Chicago State last season.
The game from Jones Convocation Center in Chicago is scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. ET. NIU is averaging 54.6 points per game, while Chicago State averages 61.0. The Cougars are one-point favorites in the latest Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 125.5. Before making any Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on NIU vs. Chicago State and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for NIU vs. Chicago State:
- Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State spread: Chicago State -1
- Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State over-under: 125.5 points
- Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State money line: NIU -105, Chicago State -115
- NIU: The Huskies are 8-1 against the spread in their last nine Monday games
- CSU: The Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games vs. a team with a losing road record
Why Northern Illinois can cover
Sophomore transfer guard Keshawn Williams leads the Huskies in scoring, averaging 11.9 points in eight games, including seven starts. He has reached double-digit scoring four times, including in two of the past three games. His season high was 24 points on Dec. 1 in a win over Eastern Illinois, and he is also averaging 2.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals. In 19 games last season at Tulsa, Williams averaged 3.1 points and 1.3 assists in just 10.5 minutes of action.
Also powering the Huskies is senior guard Trendon Hankerson. Hankerson scored 15 points in the win over Eastern Illinois before being held to seven points in their last game, a 79-41 loss at Dayton on Dec. 4. He is averaging 11.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and is connecting on 50 percent of his 3-pointers over the past three games. In the season opener on Nov. 9, Hankerson scored 28 points in Northern Illinois' 71-64 win at Washington.
Why Chicago State can cover
The Cougars have four players averaging seven points or more this year, including junior guard Brandon Betson, who averages 15.3 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. He is hitting on 41.7 percent from the floor, including 39 percent from three-point range. He is also an 83.3 percent free throw shooter. Betson has scored in double figures in all nine games, including a 22-point effort in a season-opening 77-72 win against St. Thomas, Minn.
Freshman guard Jahsean Corbett is off to a fast start to his collegiate career, scoring in double figures in six games this season, including each of the past five. He has scored a season-high 17 points in back-to-back games, including Saturday's loss to Illinois State. He has registered two double-doubles, including a 16-point, 13-rebound performance against Bowling Green on Nov. 28. For the season, Corbett is averaging 11.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
How to make Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 127 combined points. It also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only get the model's Chicago State vs. Northern Illinois pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Northern Illinois vs. Chicago State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.