UMass is hosting Northern Illinois on Wednesday night of Week 12. The game will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET in Amherst, Massachusetts.
The Huskies are 10.5-point road favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 43.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this MAC conference matchup.
Northern Illinois at UMass prediction, preview
Northern Illinois Preview
After a 2024 season highlighted by an upset over Notre Dame, it has been a down 2025 season for Northern Illinois. The Huskies have been one of the most competitive MAC programs over the past few seasons, but not this season. Northern Illinois has just one conference win this season, and many of the losses have been absolute beatdowns. The clear issue for Northern Illinois has been the lack of quarterback play. This team can’t throw the ball, and as a result, the offense struggles to score. When the offense can’t stay on the field, the defense wears down and starts to break late in games. This is a chance for the Huskies to get a win against an even worse UMass team, so they should play hard to get back on the winning track.
UMass Preview
UMass is the worst FBS team in the nation. It is not only the worst FBS team, but it is worse than many FCS teams and even some Division II teams. Across all divisions, UMass ranks 220th in the nation in SP+. A decent chunk of FCS teams are rated ahead of it, as well as every FBS team and 12 DII squads. This team is shockingly bad on both sides of the ball, making it virtually unbettable this season. UMass lost to a Bryant team that is 1-5 in conference play at the FCS level. Its seven losses to FBS teams have come by an average of 28.5 points per game. This is one of the worst FBS teams in recent memory, and it would take a miracle for it to win a football game this season.
Northern Illinois at UMass pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is the under 43.5. Measuring by EPA/play, these are the two worst passing offenses in the country. Northern Illinois can run it reasonably well, but the run defense is the only thing about UMass that is competent. Northern Illinois has struggled to defend the pass this season, but that doesn’t matter against an abysmal UMass offense. The Minutemen have only scored more than 13 points in one FBS game all season. Meanwhile, Northern Illinois has not scored more than 21 points in a game all season. Both of these teams are incapable of putting up points, even when they have faced bad teams. This will be one of the ugliest football games played this season, and it should result in the game staying under the total.
