College Football Betting: Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois

The only game on Friday’s college football card should produce an entertaining shootout as Bowling Green and Northern Illinois battle for the MAC Championship at Ford Field in Detroit. Northern Illinois enters this contest as the #16 ranked team in college football with a perfect 12-0 record. They finished 12-1 last year meaning their two year record heading into this contest is a stellar 24-1 SU. They’ve won six straight games by double digits but the betting marketplace seems to have caught up with their skill–they’re just 7-5 ATS this season. Bowling Green is a very solid team and should give NIU a strong effort.

Bowling Green looked to be the class of the MAC heading into the season. Their three losses on the season came against conference rival Toledo and ‘power conference’ opponents Mississippi State and Indiana. Bowling Green was the #6 ranked total defense in the country last season and they returned 9 starters from that unit. The bad news for their opponents is that they’ve also got a solid offense that can beat opponents through the air or on the ground. Unlike Northern Illinois, Bowling Green remains somewhat ‘under the radar’ and has been a solid pointspread play this season. BGU is 9-3 against the spread.

That being said, Northern Illinois is simply the better team here and especially on offense where they’re led by dual threat QB Jordan Lynch who can score on the ground and through the air. The offensive line remains intact and lead a confident team that has found a way to win week after week. Their only loss in the past two seasons was a narrow 18-17 loss to Iowa at Chicago’s Soldier Field last year–a game Northern Illinois avenged earlier this season. The dynamic Lynch is a veritable ‘unstoppable force’ and could make the difference in this game. While the Northern Illinois defense isn’t as good as Bowling Green’s they’re good enough and the poised and potent offense should have enough to win this game and cover this margin. There is some sentiment that NIU is ‘overrated’ but until someone beats them–particularly in conference–we’re going to go on the assumption that they’re as good as advertised and bet accordingly.

BET NORTHERN ILLINOIS -3 OVER BOWLING GREEN