Northern Illinois at Kent State (11/30/2012)

Away:  Northern Illinois [9-2-1 ATS]
Home:  Kent State [10-2 ATS]

Game Time: 7:00 PM
Stadium: Ford Field

Recent Meetings:
10/08/11 - KENST 10 vs. NOILL 40
11/18/08 - NOILL 42 vs. KENST 14
11/10/07 - KENST 20 vs. NOILL 27

Team Leaders:

Northern Illinois:
Passing: Jordan Lynch (2750)
Rushing: Jordan Lynch (1611)
Receiving: Martel Moore (866)

Kent State:
Passing: Spencer Keith (1674)
Rushing: Dri Archer (1337)
Receiving: Dri Archer (458)

More:
Live Odds
In-Depth Matchup Information
Consensus Betting Information

This is going to be a great game...Don't know how Kent St is going to slow down Lynch..nobody has at all this year..could be a shootout here for the Mac title...By far the best year the MAC has had in a long long time..so many Bowl eligible teams in the MAC...good luck on your plays in this one...going with N ILLINOIS for the MAC title..

Look at those ats records, 10-2 for Kent St and 9-2-1 for NIU, incredible. It wasn't long ago betting on MAC teams was an excersize in futility, just rediculous variability in week to week performance. No sense in picking teams at this date as the lines aren't out but NIU has rolled through the MAC and will be about a TD favorite. My main point is the MAC is up as a conference and the best teams in it did a great job of covering the spread this year. Anybody know why? NIU in particular has an extremely successful recruiting strategy that capitalizes on the Big 10 filling out their incoming freshman class with early recruits signed before the senior year in high school even begins. But some of the best recruits develop late and only show themselves as blue chip prospects during their senior year. Who gets these players, NIU and other MAC teams. The south has the best teams each and every year because 1)the development of football players pre college is vastly superior down south and 2) if you are big you have got to play, peer presure makes you play. So there are not as many late developing blue chippers down south, if they show some talent they are in wieghtlifting programs since age 14.

Look at those ats records, 10-2 for Kent St and 9-2-1 for NIU, incredible. It wasn't long ago betting on MAC teams was an excersize in futility, just rediculous variability in week to week performance. No sense in picking teams at this date as the lines aren't out but NIU has rolled through the MAC and will be about a TD favorite. My main point is the MAC is up as a conference and the best teams in it did a great job of covering the spread this year. Anybody know why? NIU in particular has an extremely successful recruiting strategy that capitalizes on the Big 10 filling out their incoming freshman class with early recruits signed before the senior year in high school even begins. But some of the best recruits develop late and only show themselves as blue chip prospects during their senior year. Who gets these players, NIU and other MAC teams. The south has the best teams each and every year because 1)the development of football players pre college is vastly superior down south and 2) if you are big you have got to play, peer presure makes you play. So there are not as many late developing blue chippers down south, if they show some talent they are in wieghtlifting programs since age 14.

Kent St - 40                                        Northern Illinois - 31

Golden Panthers +5                                  over 60

They treated me well this season, I'll take the Panthers to pull off the upset in Motown.

Kent St - Over

ill take the points here n. illi +5

Gimme Kent St +5

meant n illi-5 sorry

the over seems to be the play here..

remember, Kentucky beat the crap out of Kent St earlier in the season...N Ill has had some good wins and overcome the loss of their QB last year.   May lean on No Ill, but will research some more...

Both teams are very good. Both have made me a lot of $$ all season. I think it will come down to the qb play and Lynch wins that battle hands down, too explosive of an offense. The flashes have a very opportunistic D but they wont be good enough to wint this game. Take N.Illinois but it will be close at half.

Kent state has a top 10 rush defense in the country.

kent has played the harder MAC schedule, significantly harder.

Kent state is playing for a BCS bowl game.


I wont be shocked one bit if Kent state wins, THEY ARE THE BETTER TEAM.


they will cause NIU to get out of their rhythm on offense. NIU WILL NOT be able to run all over Kent like they have with everyone else.


Kent has faced two teams the are extremely run heavy this year in

• EMU
• ARMY

Kent state butt pounded each team, and forced them to get out of what they want to do on offense.

I look for more of the same this week.

HISTORY SHOWS NIU HAS OWNAGE IN THIS MATCHUP.  AND LOOKING AT THE SCORES, IT HASN'T BEEN CLOSE THE LAST THREE.  NIU -5.

didnt niu choke in this same situation last year against a less formidable foe......... and now they are suppose to beat kent by a touchdown..........hmmmmm......but its kent with wins against bcs conference teams...........give me the points and kent

to expand on Forkball's point... the West seems to have ownage over the East recently in the MAC... looking at the comparisons this year, it doesn't seem like anything has changed...

NIU (-4.5)

I will tease Kent with UCLA

Man what a good game this should be, very good thread as well!  NIU should win this game I think but covering is another animal.

Early lean Kent St + the chalk 

GLTA 

Lots Orange Bowl talk on local sports talk shows and in sports pages. Coach Hazel is a great motivator and his test this week is to keep his team's mind off the hype. Dri Archer is the fastest, best 175 lb back in the country. If his ankle is ok I think Kent will at least keep it within the spread, if not win the game. What a year for Kent sports. Baseball makes College World Series and Golf team finishes 5th. Go FLASHES

If Kent St can stop the option they have a chance but NI will run away in the second half but keep it under.

Ha! I have almost made a living with the MAC and Sun Belt Conf the past 3 years...I have followed both schools and hit on all but one game (Huskies/ Army) and that was breaking even. My take is that all the Talk for Kent State in a Bowl game will be a distraction for them, plus the lost to Kentucky??? Lmao Kentucky in Football WOW! Now I get UK is an SEC team and all...They seem to show up against my Dawgs every year. But let me say this NIU has only lost one game and it was to the Hawkeyes 1st game of the season (17-16)...Iowa has proven they have a tough defense this year...Anyway I feel NIU will win SU but have to go with Kent State +6 or +5 depnding on where you book! This game will be close Under 1st half and over 2nd half...They both will be nervous and NIU should be ranked!!! Been saying it all year. these guys ran the scoreboard up in 6 inches of snow...

 

ML NUI

+6 Kent State

     Until they prove they can  beat the Huskies, or cover the number for that matter, I'm going to the team that has owned the MAC in recent years.  Kent St. has been impressive, but I'm willing to lose my wager, if they prove me wrong.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS   - 6

if you feel like that will be the final score why not take em on money line like me?kentst-1+212...i had em win they beat rutgers and they was+440give if a shot.

Yep, I agree. ML worth a shot here.

NI 49 kent 24

KENT ST + 6.5