Massachusetts vs Northern Illinois Picks and Predictions for Saturday January 16 2025

By: Jeremy O'Quinn Published 01/17/2026, 01:35 AM ET

Massachusetts Preview

The Massachusetts Minutemen are heading to the NIU Convocation Center on Saturday, where they will take on the Northern Illinois Huskies. Get the rest of our free college basketball picks here! The Massachusetts Minutemen come into this matchup with an 11-7 record, including 2-4 in MAC play. UMass has been a high-scoring team, averaging 80.8 points per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and tallying about 7.6 made three-pointers per contest. Recently, Massachusetts picked up an 85–82 road win over Western Michigan, paced by Marcus Banks Jr.’s 22 points and Leonardo Bettiol’s 21 point performance. UMass also ranks near the top of the MAC in assists with 18.1 per game.

Northern Illinois Preview

The Northern Illinois Huskies currently sit at 5-11 overall and 1-4 in MAC play. Northern Illinois has struggled this season but shows enough offensive capability to stay in games, as the Huskies average 75.1 points per game and shoot 43% from the field with 8.6 made three-pointers per game, allowing them to spread the floor. Guard Makhai Valentine leads NIU with 13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and the team has been competitive on the glass ranking among the MAC’s best in offensive rebounding. Despite defensive inconsistencies that have led to allowing over 78 points per contest, Northern Illinois has played fairly well at home with a 4-3 home record this season.

Northern Illinois vs Massachusetts Prediction

Northern Illinois comes into this one riding a four game win streak, while Massachusetts searches for a third straight win. Expect the scoring from Massachusetts to be the difference here. Final score prediction, Massachusetts wins 83-70 and covers the -7.5 spread.

How To Bet This Matchup

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