Ball State Cardinals vs. Northern Illinois Huskies Picks and Prediction for Saturday, February 28, 2026
Use Code WWWC It’s a contest of teams from the MAC on the hardwood as the Ball State Cardinals travel to the Land of Lincoln to battle the Northern Illinois Huskies Saturday afternoon and we have you covered with our Ball State vs. Northern Illinois prediction. Ball State comes in off a 74-73 overtime home win over UMass in their previous contest Tuesday, winning outright as a 4.5-point underdog. Northern Illinois fell to Toledo 79-69 on the road Tuesday, covering the line as a 12.5-point underdog, in their previous contest. In the all-time series between the schools, the Cardinals own a 65-41 advantage and have won the last two meetings. That includes a 58-53 home win in the first matchup this season January 26. Read more about this Ball State vs. Northern Illinois prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Get our top NCAAB Betting Picks and increase your bankroll!
Cardinals Seeking to Sweep Season Series
Ball State had dropped six of their previous seven, including four straight, but slipped past UMass at home in overtime in their last game. The Cardinals improved to 9-19 overall and stood tied for 10th in the MAC with a 4-11 mark in conference play. Against UMass, Ball State was down as many as 16 in the first half, 34-21 at intermission and 53-35 with 12:12 to play in regulation before rallying to force overtime. The Cardinals rallied to lead 61-58 with 45 seconds to play before winding up in overtime. Ball State led by as many as five in the extra session, trailed by one in the final minute and took the lead for good on Armoni Zeigler’s layup with 16 seconds to go before hanging on for the win. The Cardinals shot 35.7% from the field, including six of 28 from beyond the arc, and overcame a 49-41 disadvantage on the glass in the contest. Davion Hill led Ball State with 26 points in the win.
The Cardinals put up 66.3 points per game this season, putting them 348th in the nation in scoring offense this season. Ball State collects 32.1 rebounds per contest while dishing out an average of 12 assists a night. The Cardinals are above average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 84th in scoring defense by allowing 70.4 points per game. Armoni Zeigler is one of two players on the team averaging in double figures as he puts up 12 points plus 4.9 rebounds per game this season. Davion Hill (13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds), Devon Barnes (9.1 points) and Elmore James IV (7.8 points) each are secondary scoring options this season. Kayden Fish, Cam Denison, Juwan Maxey and Mason Jones each are logging solid minutes for the Cardinals. Ball State shoots 40.9% from the field as a team this season, putting them 345th in the nation. The Cardinals knock down 6.9 triples per game while shooting 30.7% from three-point range. Ball State is below average at the charity stripe, sinking 69.9% of their attempts this year, putting them 268th in the nation.
Key Injury Report for Ball State:
Get Free $30 Credit for Premium Picks + Exclusive Discounts
Subscribe Now
- No Key Injuries
Northern Illinois Trying to Get Back in Win Column
Northern Illinois suffered a second straight loss and their fourth in the last five games as they were downed by Toledo on the road Tuesday night. The Huskies fell to 9-18 overall and stand tied for 10th in the MAC with a 4-11 mark on the year. Against Toledo, Northern Illinois trailed by as many as 12 in the first half and took their lone lead at 29-28 with 4:29 remaining in the opening half before going to intermission down 36-31. The Huskies never got closer than two the rest of the way, trailing by as many as 16 en route to the loss. Northern Illinois shot 47.4% from the floor, including five for 23 shooting from three-point range, and lost the fast break points battle 20-4. Hassan Washington (seven boards) and Gianni Cobb (six rebounds, five assists) each had 17 points in the loss to lead Northern Illinois.
The Huskies put up an average of 70.8 points per contest this season, which puts them 300th in the nation in scoring offense. Northern Illinois collects 35.4 rebounds per game (181st) and hands out 13.1 assists a night. The Huskies are below average defensively, ranking 248th in the nation in scoring defense by allowing 76.3 points per game. Mahkai Valentine leads the team with 13.8 points plus 5.4 rebounds per game this season. Dylan Ducommun (11.5 points, 3.7 assists), Gianni Cobb (9.6 points, four assists), Taj Walters and Gustav Winther each provide a secondary scoring option this season. Jao Ituka, Daemar Kelly, Hassan Washington, Carlos Coronado, Ladji Kante and Isaiah Washington have to contribute for the Huskies to have success this season. The Huskies shoot 42.2% from the floor as a team on the year, putting them 321st in Division I in that category. Northern Illinois drains 8.3 threes per game on 32.1% shooting from beyond the arc. The Huskies are struggling at the charity stripe, sinking 66.1% of their attempts at the free throw line, which is a putrid 354th in Division I.
Key Injury Report for Northern Illinois:
- No Key Injuries
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Pick
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Spread Pick
- Ball State +1.5 (4 units)
We’re looking at a pair of teams that are near the bottom of the MAC standings as we head into the final week plus of the regular season. The Cardinals come in off a victory where they showed they hadn’t mailed it in by rallying from 18 down to stun UMass at home. Northern Illinois has struggled shooting the ball all season and they have had problems slowing down teams on the defensive end of the floor. Ball State has sputtered themselves on the offensive end of the floor but they beat the Huskies in the first meeting this season. Northern Illinois is 6-5 at home but their poor shooting does them in here. Take Ball State in a tight game.
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois Over/Under Pick
- Under 129.5 (4 units)
Ball State enters this game having stayed under the total in 18 of their 26 games with a posted total this season. The Cardinals stand 347th in offensive efficiency and 230th in defensive efficiency according to KenPom, which is concerning given that they are 84th in scoring defense. Ball State is 226th in field goal percentage defense (44.9%) and 94th in forced turnovers per game (12.9) on the year. The Cardinals are below average in terms of tempo as they are 346th in adjusted tempo with 63.5 possessions a night. Northern Illinois comes into this game having stayed under the number in 18 of their 25 games that had posted numbers. The Huskies are 337th in offensive efficiency, 295th in effective field goal percentage (49.5%), 270th in two-point shooting (50.5%) and 144th in free throw rate as they average 21.4 free throw attempts game this season. Their problem is on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 244th in defensive efficiency, 337th in field goal percentage defense (47.6%) and 346th in two-point defense (56.5%) this season. Northern Illinois is average in tempo as they are 186th in adjusted tempo with 67.3 possessions a night, according to KenPom. Three of the last four meetings have stayed under the total, including just 111 combined points in the first matchup this year. This game falls short of the mark as well.
Betting on College Basketball?
- Join Winners and Whiners premium for free and get a free $30 coupon with code FREE30
- Get started and wager on college hoops today with our favorite online sportsbooks
- Claim a CBB betting bonus offer with the best sportsbook promos
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days
