Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Wisconsin Badgers Prediction and Picks for Friday November 7, 2025
Use Code WWWC The Wisconsin Badgers (1-0) will host the Northern Illinois Huskies (1-0) on Friday in a Big Ten vs Mid-American Conference matchup. In the Sports Illustrated preseason rankings, Wisconsin was slated No. 18 and Northern Illinois is slated 332nd.
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NIU is coming off a rare victory
According to both Sports Illustrated and the MAC Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll, the Huskies are slated to finish 13th (last) in the conference. The Huskies shrugged off the low outside expectations with a 102-82 home win over the UL-Monroe Warhawks (357th by Sports Illustrated) in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge.
NIU shot 55.4% from the floor, 40.7% from three, and 73.1% from the line in their opening 20-point victory. Most notably, the Huskies dominated the Warhawks with a 44 to 18 advantage on the boards. Four NIU players reached double figures in the win, led by Jao Otuka with 19 points in only 19 minutes. Gustav Winther added 18 points and 10 rebounds, Makhai Valentine had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Gianni Cobb scored 14 points and dished out a game-high 10 assists.
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Although UL-Monroe is expected to be the worst team in the Sun Belt this season, winning is always a big deal for a NIU program that has been down. Last season, the Huskies went 6-25 and missed the MAC tournament with a 2-16 conference record.
Badgers piled on Campbell late
Last year, the Wisconsin Badgers went 27–10 and narrowly lost to BYU (91–89). They were selected seventeenth in the Big Ten Preseason Media Poll, behind powerhouse programs such as Purdue, Michigan, UCLA, Illinois, Oregon, and Michigan State. Wisconsin also welcomed a strong class from the transfer portal to join returning standouts John Blackwell (15.8 ppg last season) and Nolan Winter (9.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg last season).
On paper, Wisconsin looks like a lock for the NCAA Tournament this season. They opened the year with a 96–64 win over Campbell (ranked 213th by Sports Illustrated) As bad as the final score was, Wisconsin only led 65-60 with nine minutes left, and ended the game on a 14-0 run in the final 3:36.. The Badgers shot 50.7% from the field, 39.3% from three, and 89.5% from the free-throw line in the victory. Blackwell led the way with 31 points, Nick Boyd added 21, and Nolan Winter contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds. Boyd is a key addition after spending three seasons at FAU and starting 31 games for San Diego State last season, where he averaged 13.4 ppg.
Northern Illinois vs Wisconsin Predictions
ATS Pick for NIU vs. Wisconsin
- NIU +28 (3 units)
Wisconsin’s opening game was weird as they were tested by Campbell, but ended the game on a 31-4 run in the final nine minutes. Seeing a result like that is concerning for the Huskies because it shows that Wisconsin will not have an issue running up the score late, but it also shows that the team could be overlooking its opponent.
NIU is led by head coach Rashon Burno, who has compiled a 40-85 record with a losing season in each of his four years at NIU. With this team being so lowly rated on paper, the Huskies are likely to be a huge underdog often. Wisconsin is the superior team, but this NIU team should be better than expected. Jao Otuka has bounced around schools, but once played at Wake Forest, and freshman Gustav Winther looks to be a strong addition from overseas with professional experience under his belt. Makhai Valentine also played with Missouri State last season, and Gianni Cobb saw time with Columbia last season.
Backing NIU is uncomfortable, but I will roll the dice and take them as the huge underdog. But for those legally wagering online, if the Huskies are covering, you may want to hit the cash out option midway through the second half because the Badgers can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.
Total Pick for Northern Illinois vs. Wisconsin
- Over 156.5 (5 units)
I like the total here more than the side. Northern Illinois combined with UL-Monroe for 184 points, and there’s a strong chance the Badgers get close to hitting the century mark here after hanging 96 on Campbell. The Huskies like to run, and I see both teams pushing for points until the final whistle. I see this game going way over, predicting a 101-75 win for Wisconsin.
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