The UMass Minutemen get one of their final real chances to add a win to the board as they host the Northern Illinois Huskies in a matchup of MAC bottom-dwellers.
How rough has it been for UMass? The Huskies have dropped seven of their last eight—but still enter as 11.5-point road favorites in the college football odds.
Our NIU vs. UMass predictions and college football picks think this battle will fly Under the total on Wednesday, November 12.
Want to make sure Covers shows up often in your Google search results and Discover feed?
Simply click here and add Covers as one of your "source preferences".
NIU vs UMass prediction
NIU vs UMass best bet: Under 43.5 (-115)
It’s amazing that two of the lowest-scoring football teams in the nation play in the MAC, and will look horns on Wednesday night.
The UMass Minutemen are averaging just 11.3 points, and since scoring a season-high in a 27-26 loss to Bryant, their offense has been grim.
They have cracked the 20-point plateau once over the next seven games, have cracked double digits two other times, and have scored seven points or less four others.
UMass has hit the Over in three straight, but the opposition fueled those totals. Akron wiped the Minutemen out 44-10, and Central Michigan dunked on them 38-13. Their only game showing some resistance was a 28-21 loss to the Buffalo Bulls.
The Northern Illinois Huskies aren’t going to be doing their share of the heavy lifting, not even with UMass ranking last in the MAC and 130th in the nation, allowing 36.8 points per game.
That’s because the Huskies are nearly as offensively challenged as their opponents, averaging a paltry 12.2 points per game, 134th in college football.
The only good news in the last two months was last week’s 21-7 win over Ball State. Outside of that, Northern Illinois has put up 10 points or fewer in five of seven losses.
Last time out, the Huskies were crushed by Toledo 42-3. The Under has cashed in six of their last nine games, and two of the three Overs were powered by opponents ringing up 40+.
The third? A 25-14 loss to Miami (OH) with the line at a merciful 38.5 points. There’s no other way to be this than Under.
NIU vs UMass same-game parlay
We’re throwing in UMass’ total into a 3-legged SGP, as it’s begging to be thrown in there. The Minutemen have gone Under this scoring total of 15.5 seven times in nine games.
The only times they didn’t were a 27-26 loss to Bryant and the 28-21 loss to Buffalo. The trend is that they can’t push enough points to win, and I think that holds solid Tuesday night.
NIU vs UMass SGP
- Under 43.5
- UMass +11.5
- UMass team total Under 15.5
NIU vs UMass game predictions
NIU vs UMass moneyline prediction
Avoid betting this line at all costs – you have everything to lose here, and you’d be riding a team that has one win between September 5 to November 5.
Massachusetts is riding a losing streak that has now stretched 13 games, so at some point, the bubble will burst. Northern Illinois is bad enough that it could (stress “could”) be them.
In the end, I don’t think the Minutemen can find enough offense to push them out to a lead.
NIU vs UMass spread prediction
NIU isn’t good enough to be double-digit favorites over anybody. This is a team that’s 3-7-0 against the spread this year.
NIU vs UMass Over/Under prediction
This is a battle of two of the three lowest-scoring teams in all of Division I football.
NIU has been a lot more stingy on defense, so you can count on the Minutemen hovering around their season average of 11.3 points.
UMass allows a whopping 36.8 points per game, but the Huskies are averaging just 12 and have scored 10 points or less in five of their last eight games.
NIU vs UMass odds
- Spread: NIU -11.5 (-105) | UMass +11.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: NIU -480 | UMass +370
- Over/Under: Over 43.5 (-105) | Under 43.5 (-115)
NIU vs UMass trend to know
NIU is 3-0 all-time vs the Minutemen. Find more college football betting trends for NIU vs UMass.
How to watch NIU vs UMass
| Location | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, MA |
| Date | Wednesday, November 12, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPNU |
NIU vs UMass latest injuries
NIU vs UMass weather
Monitor gametime conditions with our College football weather info.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
