The Kent State Golden Flashes take on the Northern Illinois Huskies in DeKalb, Illinois. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. EST on CBS Sports Network.
Northern Illinois is favored by 5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -200. The total is set at 45 points.
Here’s my Kent State vs. Northern Illinois prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 28, 2025.
Kent State vs Northern Illinois Prediction
- Kent State vs. Northern Illinois Pick: Kent State ML (+165, bet365)
My N. Illinois vs. Kent State best bet is on the Golden Flashes to win outright. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Kent State vs Northern Illinois Odds
| Kent State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5 -110 | 45 -110o / -110u | +165 |
| N. Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5 -110 | 45 -110o / -110u | -200 |
- Kent State vs Northern Illinois point spread: Northern Illinois -5 (-110), Kent State +5 (-110)
- Kent State vs Northern Illinois over/under: 45 (-110o / -110u)
- Kent State vs Northern Illinois moneyline: Kent State +165, Northern Illinois -200
Kent State vs Northern Illinois Preview
If you take out Kent State’s blowout loss to Toledo, the Golden Flashes have been competitive in six of the past seven games.
They dominated UMass, nipped Bowling Green in a close win, won the Wagon Wheel in overtime, lost by four against Ball State, and left some points on the board in a 12-point loss against Central Michigan.
We wrote off Kent State in the preseason for a multitude of reasons, but the Golden Flashes have proven us wrong.
This week, they’ll face NIU as a favorite. Underneath coach Thomas Hammock’s leadership, the Huskies are 11-25-1 ATS when laying points, a sample that includes 18 outright upsets.
Dru DeShields has been an up-and-coming freshman quarterback for Kent State. He can run around and make big plays happen.
If Northern Illinois gets behind in this game, it might be curtains because the Huskies’ offense is brutal. If they can’t break a long run, they’re cooked. They are one of the least consistent offenses in the nation. They don’t get a big push in the run game, and the quarterback play is dreadful — they rank dead last nationally in Pass Success Rate.
I also think that Northern Illinois has mailed it in this season as the Huskies prepare to move to the Mountain West next season. Meanwhile, the Golden Flashes have some wind in their sails, and I think they win this game as an underdog.
Pick: Kent State ML (+165, bet365)
