Week 12 brings us some more MACtion when the Akron Zips (2-7, 1-4 MAC) visit the Northern Illinois Huskies (5-4, 2-3) in DeKalb, Illinois, at Huskie Stadium on Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
The Zips enter this one having lost 4 of their last 5 games, including a 41-30 defeat at the hands of Buffalo last week. Northern Illinois enters this one coming off of a 42-28 win a week ago at Western Michigan after dropping the 2 games prior.
The Zips have had their struggles in this matchup, as they have beaten the Huskies just once since 2018. At the same time, all of those losses to NIU have come by double digits.
Northern Illinois enters this one as a -15.5 home favorite with the over/under set at 45.5.
Will the Huskies continue their dominance over the Zips, or will the story be different this year in DeKalb? Let's dive into my Akron vs. Northern Illinois predictions and college football picks for Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Akron Zips vs. Northern Illinois Huskies Prediction, Picks
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois Pick: Northern Illinois -15.5
My NIU vs. Akron best bet is on the Huskies to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at bet365, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Akron vs. Northern Illinois Odds, Line, Spread
| Akron Zips Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14.5 -120 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | +490 |
| Northern Illinois Huskies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14.5 -102 | 43.5 -110o / -110u | -710 |
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois Spread: Northern Illinois -14.5 · Akron +14.5
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois Over/Under: 43.5
- Akron vs. Northern Illinois Moneyline: Northern Illinois ML -710, Akron ML +490
Akron vs. Northern Illinois NCAAF Week 12 Preview
Akron Zips Betting Preview
Head coach Joe Moorhead is in his third season in Akron, and he has yet to eclipse the two-win mark since his departure from Oregon in 2021. It won’t be easy, but Northern Illinois is a beatable team if Akron can execute well.
Moorhead will be feeling increased pressure to get over the hump and show some improvement year over year, or he could find himself searching for a new job.
The Akron offense has struggled all season, averaging just under 19 points per game.
Ben Finley leads the team under center and has provided some solid offensive outputs as well as some bad ones, as he has just 12 touchdowns to his nine interceptions on the season.
These turnovers and lack of offensive output — especially early in games — have led to Akron playing from behind constantly, which is a big reason it ranks 21st in Pass Rate.
The Zips are not built to air it out, ranking 109th in Pass Success Rate and 96th in Pass Explosiveness.
The key will be to find a way to keep this game close and run the ball with junior Jordan Simmons, who's averaging nearly six yards per carry on the season.
The Zips rank a better 81st in Rush Success Rate, and it all starts with getting Simmons more touches. Look for Moorhead to get him the ball a lot earlier in the game to control the clock and give them an opportunity to be a bit more balanced offensively.
Defensively, Akron can't stop anyone on the ground or through the air.
The Zips allow 36 points per game on over 400 yards of offense. They rank 121st in Success Rate allowed and 102nd in Havoc, so they're not forcing turnovers or making game-changing plays defensively.
They get flat-out beat each and every week.
The only bright spot when it comes to trying to cover larger numbers is a rank of 65th in Explosiveness allowed, so teams don’t necessarily run away with games quickly. They'll need to limit big plays here if they hope to cover the number in this one.
Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Preview
Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock has had a bumpy road in his sixth season in DeKalb. After pulling off the biggest upset in college football this season at Notre Dame, his team has been shaky, going 3-4 since that program-defining victory.
There's no secret that this was Antario Brown’s offense. The Huskies' goal was to give it to him and let him make plays on the ground. After a leg injury last week, it looks like he will miss this game, leaving the run game up to the offensive line and running backs Telly Johnson Jr. and Gavin Williams.
Brown was a star, but I think this run game that ranks 23rd in Rush Success Rate should continue to find holes even with Johnson in the backfield.
Quarterback Ethan Hampton has also been very good in Hammock’s scheme, as the Huskies rank a solid 51st in Pass Success Rate and 14th in Pass Explosiveness.
The Huskies can put points up on anyone, and they should have every opportunity against a weak Akron defense this week.
The run game has helped mask Hammock’s defensive unit. The Huskies allow just under 19 points per game but allow over 400 yards of offense.
They've been fantastic in the red zone, limiting touchdowns and holding their opponents to field goals. A lot of this can be attributed to a run defense that ranks 54th in Rush Success Rate allowed.
The Huskies should be able to slow Simmons, so it will be on Finley and the Akron air attack to beat a Northern Illinois pass defense that ranks 19th in Pass Success Rate allowed. Good luck with that.
This defense should be able to hold strong against a struggling Akron offense.
Northern Illinois vs. Akron Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Northern Illinois and Akron match up statistically:
Akron Offense vs. Northern Illinois Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 81 | 54 | |
| Line Yards | 120 | 69 | |
| Pass Success | 109 | 19 | |
| Havoc | 115 | 33 | |
| Finishing Drives | 125 | 17 | |
| Quality Drives | 127 | 33 | |
Northern Illinois Offense vs. Akron Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 23 | 81 | |
| Line Yards | 13 | 54 | |
| Pass Success | 51 | 120 | |
| Havoc | 56 | 102 | |
| Finishing Drives | 93 | 118 | |
| Quality Drives | 16 | 107 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 133 | 4 |
| PFF Coverage | 131 | 17 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 60 | 121 |
| Middle 8 | 99 | 14 |
| Seconds per Play | 27.2 (71) | 27.2 (69) |
| Rush Rate | 44% (126) | 60% (15) |
Akron vs. Northern Illinois Best Bet and Pick
While I'm nervous laying a big number with such a low total, Northern Illinois is the significantly better football team here.
The Huskies should be able to score on most of their possessions and have a major advantage on the other side of the ball. Northern Illinois should have no problem making things difficult for the Akron offense.
I'll be backing the Huskies and laying the points at -15.5.
Pick: Northern Illinois -15.5
Akron vs. Northern Illinois Channel, Streaming, How to Watch, Location, Start Time
| Location: | Huskie, Stadium, DeKalb, IL |
| Date: | Wednesday, Nov. 13 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | CBS Sports Network |
Akron will head to DeKalb on Wednesday to take on Northern Illinois at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
College Football Betting Trends for Akron vs. Northern Illinois
- 74% of bets and 45% of the money are on Northern Illinois to cover the spread
- 94% of bets and 69% of the money on the moneyline are on Northern Illinois to win outright
- 76% of bets and 54% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NCAAF public betting & money percentages page.
Akron vs. Northern Illinois Weather
