The Northern Illinois Huskies take on the Ohio Bobcats in Athens, OH. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Ohio is favored by -11 points on the spread with a moneyline of -450. The total is set at 41.5 points.
Here’s my Northern Illinois vs. Ohio prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Northern Illinois vs Ohio Prediction
- Northern Illinois vs. Ohio Pick: Northern Illinois +11.5
My Ohio vs. Northern Illinois best bet is on the Huskies to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Northern Illinois vs Ohio Odds
| Northern Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11 -110 | 41.5 -110o / -110u | +350 |
| Ohio Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11 -110 | 41.5 -110o / -110u | -450 |
- Northern Illinois vs Ohio point spread: Ohio -11
- Northern Illinois vs Ohio over/under: 41.5 points
- Northern Illinois vs Ohio moneyline: Northern Illinois +350, Ohio -450
Northern Illinois vs Ohio Pick, Betting Analysis
After a victory over Holy Cross in its opening game, Northern Illinois has lost five straight while failing to score more than 14 points in any of those outings.
The Huskies' offense is non-existent, but one system is expecting Northern Illinois to bounce back this week — or at the very least cover this double-digit spread.
Our very own Evan Abrams has a system called "Early Road Redemption Conference" that has faith in the Huskies. This system holds a 14% return on investment since its inception in 2005 and also has a positive ROI for this season alone (7-6-1 record).
"Early Road Redemption Conference" is a college football system built on the idea that early-season road teams in conference play are often undervalued after failing to cover in their previous game.
These teams tend to be overlooked by the market when traveling within their league, yet the familiarity of conference opponents and schemes reduces unpredictability and allows for steadier performance.
By focusing on spreads that place them within striking distance, lower game totals that favor competitive contests, and moderate weather conditions that limit variance, the system identifies opportunities where a visitor can redeem itself from an early setback.
The combination of conference familiarity, early-season urgency and a market still overreacting to recent poor results makes these spots profitable.
Pick: Northern Illinois +11.5
