Eastern Illinois (1-1) travels to Evanston, Illinois, to take on Northwestern (1-1) on Saturday, September 14.
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on Big Ten Network.
Northwestern is currently favored by 24.5 points with a total of 35.5.
Here's my Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern prediction and pick.
Eastern Illinois vs Northwestern Pick
- Prediction: Eastern Illinois +24.5
My Eastern Illinois vs Northwestern best bet is for the Panthers to cover, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern Odds
| Eastern Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+25.5 -110 | 37.5 -110o / -110u | +2500 |
| Northwestern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-25.5 -110 | 37.5 -110o / -110u | -10000 |
- Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern Point Spread: Eastern Illinois +25.5 · Northwestern -25.5
- Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern Total: Over/Under 37.5
- Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern Moneyline: Eastern Illinois +2500 · Northwestern -10000
Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern Preview
Eastern Illinois Panthers Betting Preview
Eastern Illinois comes in after a Week 2 victory at home against Indiana State.
Eastern Illinois took advantage of four Sycamore turnovers to take control of this contest in the second and third quarters. While the Panthers couldn't get the run game going for a second consecutive week, the passing game was effective.
Quarterback Pierce Holley was an efficient 19-of-32 for 268 yards. MJ Flowers was relied upon as the workhorse back who received every carry for the Panthers.
Defensively, EIU did well to force timely turnovers. Outside of that, it couldn't get off the field on third down and allowed an 80% pass completion rate.
This will be the Panthers' second Big Ten team of the season as they fell to Illinois in the opener, 45-0.
Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview
Northwestern is playing its third home game in a row this week after a crushing 26-20 double OT loss vs. Duke.
Northwestern had several chances to close the game out in the fourth quarter, but the offense stalled late. Duke went right down the field in the final minute to knock in the game-tying field goal before winning it in double overtime.
The Wildcats played very emotional and inspiring football, but the offense continued to lack explosiveness.
They averaged less than four yards per play and their one touchdown drive in regulation was set up by a Duke muffed punt.
The Wildcats have also experienced some turnover regression from last year. In 2023, Northwestern lost one fumble all season, while this year it's already lost three.
The defense is stout and has played well even with the skewed stats in the OT loss against Duke.
I do have serious concerns about the offense being able to score enough to cover this large number, though.
How to Bet Eastern Illinois vs Northwestern Predictions
My play here is on Eastern Illinois +24.5. The Panthers already got a taste of Big Ten football in their game against Illinois, which got out of hand due to a 4-0 turnover ratio.
EIU also failed to capitalize on drives that advanced beyond the Illinois 40-yard line, which caused the game to spiral.
I'm not convinced that we'll see the explosiveness out of Northwestern or the offensive efficiency required to necessitate a cover here. Northwestern has struggled to gain chunk yards on the ground, and the pass game is entirely dink-and-dunk.
Through two weeks, Northwestern is just 8-for-27 on third down, and that conversion rate won't get it done when trying to extend a margin.
In each of its games, Northwestern was limited to 13 points in regulation. It also missed two field goals.
Duke was able to get in the backfield a lot against the Northwestern offensive, and while it didn't register a sack, it did have 11 tackles for loss. The EIU defensive line is considered one of the top lines in the Big South/OVC and has registered 12 TFLs and three sacks.
The strength of the defense is the linebacker group, with returning First Team All-Big South/OVC Elijawah Tolbert, who's already registered 20 tackles this year.
I can see this front seven giving Northwestern some problems and creating third-down situations that will be unfavorable for the Wildcats.
Lastly, Northwestern has a history of playing down to FCS competition. The Wildcats are 0-3 against the spread in their three recent meetings involving FCS teams, including an outright loss against Southern Illinois as 13.5-point favorites.
Last year against Howard, coming off of a loss and with a bye to follow, Northwestern had every reason to be laser-focused, yet it only won that game 23-20.
With a conference road game at Washington up next and EIU’s 45-0 final at Illinois, I could see Northwestern looking past the Panthers a bit here.
I expect this one to be closer than the line indicates.
Pick: Eastern Illinois +24.5 (Play to +24)
How to Watch Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern
| Location: | Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, Evanston, IL |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | Big Ten Network |
College Football Betting Trends for Eastern Illinois vs. Northwestern
- Northwestern is 1-1 against the spread this season while Eastern Illinois is 0-2.
NCAAF Weather: EIU-NW
