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The Air Force Falcons take on the Northern Illinois Huskies in DeKalb, IL. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Air Force is favored by -7.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -320. The total is set at 46.5 points.
Here’s my Air Force vs. Northern Illinois prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 10, 2026.
Air Force vs Northern Illinois Prediction
- Air Force vs. Northern Illinois Pick: Northern Illinois +10.5 (Play to +7.5)
My Northern Illinois vs. Air Force best bet is on Northern Illinois to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page, and be sure to download the Action Network app for additional picks and analysis.
Air Force vs Northern Illinois Odds
| Air Force Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -108 | 46.5 -120o / -110u | -320 |
| Northern Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -112 | 46.5 -120o / -110u | +250 |
- Air Force vs Northern Illinois point spread: Air Force -7.5 (-108), Northern Illinois +7.5 (-112)
- Air Force vs Northern Illinois over/under: 46.5 (-120o / -110u)
- Air Force vs Northern Illinois moneyline: Air Force -320, Northern Illinois +250
Air Force vs Northern Illinois College Football Preview
This matchup holds the biggest discrepancy of the week in terms of strength of schedule. NIU has played one of the 20 most difficult schedules to date (17th), while Air Force ranks 146th in that department (including FCS teams).
To date, Air Force has three wins over Duquesne, a down Navy squad (with a backup QB) and Nevada in double OT in a game the Falcons won the turnover battle and finished 4-of-4 on fourth down.
Meanwhile, NIU has lost road games against Iowa, Arizona, and a very improved Georgia State team.
While the Huskies didn't cover against Georgia State, that was by far their best performance of the season, as they actually outgained the Panthers, 432-342. They just couldn't convert a fourth down (1-of-4), so the game eventually slipped away.
In that loss, they had drives of 53, 31, 43, 68 and 57 yards that didn't result in points.
Quarterback Taron Dickens (28-of-42 for 320 yards in his last game) has taken over as the full-time starting quarterback after Jalen Macon began the season as the starter vs. Iowa.
It makes sense that Dickens needed some extra time before he became the man under center since he transferred so late in the process, making the move to DeKalb in July.
He has looked very comfortable running the show and is by far the most talented quarterback on the roster.
Keep in mind he threw 38 touchdowns to just two interceptions while adding 320 rushing yards at Western Carolina last season, while every other signal-caller on the roster should not be seeing action at the FBS level.
Dickens should find plenty of success against a slow-footed Air Force secondary.
Speaking of quarterbacks, Air Force lost its do-everything starter Liam Szarka for the season after he suffered an injury in a hard-fought 14-9 victory over Navy last Saturday.
Last year without Szarka, the offense fell off a cliff, and I expect the same moving forward, especially in this particular matchup where teams have to attack NIU's horrid secondary through the air.
The Huskies have actually played the run pretty well (27th in Success Rate allowed, 97th percentile Line Yards) across a difficult schedule, which bodes well against the Air Force triple option, which Northern Illinois will have had extra time to prepare for following its bye week.
This is a tough travel and situational spot for Air Force following a huge win over Navy after losing its star quarterback, while NIU will benefit from that extra prep and rest ahead of its first-ever Mountain West Conference game, which should help Dickens get even more comfortable in this offense that should have no issues hitting explosives against the Air Men.
I wouldn't be shocked if the Huskies pull off the outright upset, but I'll happily take the points with the home pup.
Pick: Northern Illinois +10.5 (Play to +7.5)
