Kent State vs. Northern Illinois betting: College basketball preview for Jan. 3

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Data Skrive

The Northern Illinois Huskies (5-8, 1-1 MAC) visit the Kent State Golden Flashes (10-3, 1-0 MAC) after losing three road games in a row. The Golden Flashes are heavy favorites by 16.5 points in the matchup, which tips at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The matchup has an over/under of 159.5 points.

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Kent State Cover -16.5 vs Northern Illinois -115

Bet $20, Payout $37.39

Kent State vs. Northern Illinois betting lines

  • Kent State moneyline odds to win: -2381
  • Northern Illinois moneyline odds to win: +1142
  • Spread: Kent State (-16.5)
  • Total: 159.5

Kent State statistics, trends and more

As the home team

  • Kent State had a worse record against the spread when playing at home (5-7-1) than it did in road games (7-6-0) last season.
  • In terms of point totals, the Golden Flashes hit the over more consistently when playing at home last season, as they exceeded the total 10 times in 13 opportunities (76.9%). In away games, they hit the over three times in 13 opportunities (23.1%).
  • As a moneyline favorite last season, Kent State won a lower percentage of its games when playing at home (.692) compared to away games (.875).

Last season stats

  • The Golden Flashes scored 73.5 points per game and allowed 68.3 last year, ranking them 189th in the nation offensively and 61st on defense.
  • On the boards, Kent State was 68th in college basketball in rebounds (33.8 per game) last year. It was 45th in rebounds allowed (28.8 per game).
  • The Golden Flashes were 268th in the country in assists (12.4 per game) last year.

Kent State betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 6-5-0 (Home: 5-1-0; Away: 1-2-0)
  • O-U-P: 8-3-0 (Home: 5-1-0; Away: 2-1-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 8-2 (Home: 5-1; Away: 1-1)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 0-1 (Home: 0-0; Away: 0-1)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
48.6 (58th in nation) 43.2 (171st) 36.5 (51st) 29.1 (88th) 18.8 (20th) 14.3 (350th)

Need to know more about sports betting before you put down a wager on Kent State vs. Northern Illinois? Here’s everything you need to know about how to bet.

Northern Illinois statistics, trends and more

As the away team

  • Against the spread, Northern Illinois has had better results on the road (4-3-0) than at home (1-3-0).
  • Huskies games have gone above the over/under 50% of the time at home (two of four), and 28.6% of the time away (two of seven).
  • The Huskies, as moneyline underdogs, have won a lower percentage of games at home (0-1) than on the road (1-6) this season.

Last season stats

  • Offensively, the Huskies averaged 70.9 points per game (260th-ranked in college basketball) last season. They gave up 76.9 points per contest at the other end of the court (314th-ranked).
  • Northern Illinois ranked -1-worst in college basketball with 37.2 rebounds allowed per game. Meanwhile, it pulled down 28.9 rebounds per game (328th-ranked in college basketball).
  • The Huskies put up 12.5 dimes per game, which ranked them 260th in the country.

Northern Illinois betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 5-6-0 (Home: 1-3-0; Away: 4-3-0)
  • ATS Record When Underdog by 16.5+: 2-2-0 (As Favorite: 1-2-0; As Underdog: 4-4-0)
  • O-U-P: 4-7-0 (Home: 2-2-0; Away: 2-5-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 2-1 (Home: 2-1; Away: 0-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 1-7 (Home: 0-1; Away: 1-6)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
43.4 (285th in nation) 48.5 (346th) 32.7 (209th) 30.1 (134th) 13.8 (221st) 14.0 (342nd)
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