Northern Illinois Huskies vs Ohio Bobcats Prediction, 1/20/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Northern Illinois Huskies vs Ohio Bobcats

Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Location: Convocation Center in Athens, OH

TV: ESPN+

The Ohio Bobcats (10-9) will try to defeat the Northern Illinois Huskies (6-11) at Convocation Center on Tuesday.

The Northern Illinois Huskies played UMass and went home with a win by a final score of 70-68 in their last game. Northern Illinois ended the game having earned a 36.2% field goal percentage (21 of 58) and made 7 out of their 29 shots from beyond the perimeter. At the charity stripe, the Huskies knocked down 21 of 30 attempts for a percentage of 70.0%. Concerning grabbing rebounds, they compiled 29 with 9 of them being on the offensive end. They also dished out 13 assists for this game while creating 18 turnovers and earning 13 steals. When talking about defense, Northern Illinois allowed the other team to shoot 38.5% from the floor on 20 of 52 shooting. UMass earned 11 assists and had 10 steals for the game. In addition, UMass had 30 rebounds (6 offensive, 24 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. UMass finished 70.0% when shooting free throws by knocking down 21 of 30 shots. They made 7 out of their 19 shots from downtown. In reference to personal fouls, the Huskies finished with 20 and UMass accounted for 22 personal fouls.

Makhai Valentine is a player who was a major contributor in the game. He finished the game shooting 52.9% from the field and totaled 3 assists. He was on the court for 37 mins played and also totaled 4 boards. He left the arena with 27 points on 9 out of 17 shooting.

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Northern Illinois steps onto the court with a mark of 6-11 on the year. They average 73.9 points per game (253rd in D-1) while going 42.3% from the field. The Huskies are connecting on 31.5% on shots from distance (144 of 457) and 67.0% from the free throw line. As a unit, Northern Illinois is snagging 37.0 rebounds per contest and has tallied 228 assists so far this year, which is 300th in D-1 in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 15.7 times per game and as a team they commit 19.4 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end of the court, the Huskies have forced 13.1 turnovers per contest while drawing 18.6 personal fouls. They are giving up 32.2% on shots from beyond the arc and they are ranked 287th in Division 1 in PPG allowed (77.5). The Huskies defensively are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 47.6% (464 of 974) and they surrender 33.1 boards per game as a squad. They rank 170th in Division 1 in allowing assists to their opponents with 242 surrendered so far this year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Ohio Bobcats walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 76-71 when they faced Ball State. With respect to team rebounding, Ohio allowed Ball State to get 26 in total (9 offensive). They went 36.8% from downtown via 7 of 19 and ended up shooting 25 of 31 from the charity stripe (80.6%). The Bobcats permitted Ball State to knock down 22 out of 51 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 43.1% in the game. Overall, the Bobcats shot 26 for 54 from the field which gave them a rate of 48.1%. When discussing 3-pointers, Ohio buried 4 of 16 attempts (25.0%). They were able to convert 15 of the free throw tries for a rate of 78.9%. Ball State was called for 17 fouls for the game which got the Bobcats to the free throw line for a total of 19 shots. They also turned the ball over 12 times, while getting 3 steals in the matchup. The Bobcats pulled down 20 defensive boards and 5 offensive rebounds for a total of 25 in the game.

Aidan Hadaway ended up having an impact for the Bobcats in this matchup. He recorded 22 points in his 38 mins on the court and totaled 1 assist in this game. He converted 9 out of 14 in this contest for a rate of 64.3%, and earned 7 rebounds.

Ohio has a mark of 10-9 for the season. As an offense, the Bobcats are hitting on 47.6% from the field, which ranks them 68th in the nation. Ohio has earned 1,483 pts for the campaign (78.1 per game) and they collect 34.4 rebounds per contest. They are assisting teammates 13.7 times per contest (226th in Division 1) and they turn it over 12.3 times per contest. The Bobcats are responsible for committing 17.0 fouls per game and they connect on 68.3% from the free throw line.

The Ohio defense allows 34.8% on 3-pointers (146 of 419) and opponents are knocking down 73.8% of their free throw shots. They have surrendered 13.7 dimes and 35.4 rebounds on a nightly basis, ranking them 215th and 229th in Division 1. The Bobcats on defense are ranked 278th in Division 1 in PPG surrendered with 77.2. They are able to force 12.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 45.2% from the floor (264th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Ohio

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