Ohio Bobcats vs Northern Illinois Huskies Prediction, 2/21/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Ohio Bobcats vs Northern Illinois Huskies

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026

Location: NIU Convocation Center in Dekalb, IL

TV: ESPN+

The Ohio Bobcats (14-13) are headed to NIU Convocation Center on Saturday where they will try to defeat the Northern Illinois Huskies (9-16).

The Ohio Bobcats stepped onto the hardwood against Ball State and walked away with a win by a score of 69-57 in their last contest. Regarding fouls, the Bobcats ended up with 12 while Ball State finished the game with 19 fouls. They also made 5 of their 18 shots from long range. Ball State finished the game shooting 57.1% at the charity stripe by knocking down 8 of 14 shots. In addition, Ball State pulled down 33 boards (10 offensive, 23 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Ball State totaled 8 assists and had 6 steals in this contest. In reference to the defense, Ohio allowed 40.7% from the floor on 22 of 54 shooting. They also dished out 12 assists for the game as well as forcing 9 turnovers and earning 4 steals. When it comes to rebounding, they compiled 30 with 6 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Bobcats made 17 of their 21 tries for a rate of 81.0%. Ohio walked away from the game having earned a 42.3% field goal percentage (22 of 52) and converted 8 out of their 21 3-point shots.

Aidan Hadaway is a guy who came through in this matchup. He shot 54.5% from the field and earned 2 dimes. He was on the court for 34 minutes and also grabbed 8 boards. He walked away with 18 points on 6 of 11 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Tonight

Ohio enters this one with a mark of 14-13 for the season. They are turning it over 11.4 times per game and as a unit they commit 17.8 fouls per contest. As a unit, Ohio is pulling down 33.7 rebounds per game and is sitting with 364 dimes on the campaign, which has them ranked 207th in the country in terms of passing the rock. The Bobcats are shooting 30.8% on three-point attempts (187 of 608) and 70.1% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 77.3 points per game (150th in college) while going 46.6% from the field.

Defensively, the Bobcats have forced 12.4 turnovers per contest while drawing 19.1 personal fouls. They relinquish 36.1% on three-point shots while they are 268th in D-1 in PPG allowed (77.0). The Bobcats defense is giving up an opponent FG percentage of 45.5% (729 of 1,601) and they concede 35.8 boards per contest as a group. They are 175th in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 355 conceded so far this season.

In their last game, the Northern Illinois Huskies took home the win by a final score of 72-70 when they played Buffalo. Concerning how they rebounded, Northern Illinois allowed Buffalo to collect 24 in total (5 offensive). They went 36.4% from behind the 3-point line by shooting 8 of 22 and walked away from this one shooting 12 of 17 from the free throw line (70.6%). The Huskies permitted Buffalo to make 25 of their 54 tries from the field which had them sitting at 46.3% in this matchup. When all was said and done, the Huskies shot 24 for 50 from the field which had them sitting at 48.0%. In terms of shooting from distance, Northern Illinois made 13 of 28 tries (46.4%). They were able to convert 11 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 73.3%. Buffalo had 14 personal fouls for this game which got the Huskies to the free throw line for 15 shots. They also turned the ball over 14 times, while getting 5 steals in this matchup. The Huskies were able to snag 24 defensive boards and 6 offensive boards totaling 30 for this contest.

Gianni Cobb ended up being a factor for the Huskies for the matchup. He buried 7 out of 14 in this game giving him a rate of 50.0%, and earned 3 rebounds. He totaled 23 points in his 37 minutes on the court and totaled 3 dimes for this game.

Northern Illinois has a record of 9-16 for the campaign. The Huskies commit 18.6 personal fouls every game and they connect on 66.5% from the charity stripe. They are dishing out assists 13.0 times per contest (257th in the country) and they cough up possession 15.2 times per game. Northern Illinois has earned 1,777 pts this year (71.1 per contest) and they grab 35.8 rebounds per game. As an offensive unit, the Huskies are shooting 41.7% from the field, which has them ranked 334th in college hoops.

The Northern Illinois defense gives up 32.4% on shots from beyond the perimeter (176 of 544) and their opponents are converting on 72.0% of their free throw shots. They have surrendered 13.7 assists and 33.2 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 206th and 109th in those defensive categories. The Huskies on defense are ranked 247th in college hoops in PPG allowed with 76.2. They have forced 12.3 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 47.6% from the field (337th in D-1).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Northern Illinois

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.