Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Picks: NIU, Under Best Bets Dec 23th
- Get the best Northern Illinois vs Fresno State betting lines at BetUS.
- Northern Illinois is favored in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
- The Northern Illinois-Fresno State game could land over the 39.5-point total.
- Read on for my Northern Illinois vs Fresno State college football picks.
Could we just rename the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as the Transfer Portal Bowl? Both teams were absolutely gashed when it comes to key players transferring out since the end of the season.
Northern Illinois has won three of the previous five matchups against Fresno State. However, the teams haven’t met since 2010.
Northern Illinois defied the college football odds with one of the biggest upsets of the college football season when the Huskies went into South Bend and stunned a Notre Dame team that is one of 12 teams in the College Football Playoff field.
Perhaps that is why the Huskies are favored by three points according to BetUS Sportsbook. Northern Illinois is priced at -148 to win outright with Fresno State at +128 to extend their winning streak in bowl games to six.
Let’s take a look at my top three college football picks today for this game.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Game Information
- Game: Northern Illinois (7-5) vs Fresno State (6-6)
- Date/Time: Monday, Dec. 23, 2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID
- Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Live Stream: FuboTV
Get the latest Northern Illinois vs Fresno State stats here.
Northern Illinois vs Fresno State 3 Best Bets
1. Northern Illinois -148
It might be hard to find too many bowl games with more players opting out than the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton, leading receiver Trayvon Rudolph, defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard and safety Santana Banner are among the key players for the Huskies in the transfer portal, according to college football news.
BREAKING: NIU transfer QB Ethan Hampton has signed with Illinois, per @PeteNakos_.https://t.co/amKsN0koa6 pic.twitter.com/Gtzme1hq71
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) December 19, 2024
Starting quarterback Mikey Keene, third-leading receiver Raylen Sharpe and sack leader Phoenix Jackson lead the list of Fresno State players in the portal so that will limit the college football player prop options.
Both teams scheduled up with Northern Illinois also playing North Carolina State while Fresno State lost 30-10 to Michigan before throwing a scare into UCLA.
While the Huskies lost so many key players to the transfer portal, a 16-4 record against current Mountain West teams is enough to go with favored Northern Illinois to win when making college football picks.
Bet This Pick: Northern Illinois -148
2. Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Over 39.5
With so many players heading for the exits, it is hard to use the college football betting trends when it comes to this game.
Fresno State was 2-2 against the college football spread as an underdog this season while Northern Illinois was 2-5-1 ATS as a favorite.
Welcome to Boise, @FresnoStateFB! #potatobowl | #BowlSeason pic.twitter.com/B7ijZiqce8
— FamousID Potato Bowl (@IDPotatoBowl) December 19, 2024
Just one of the eight games when the Huskies were favored landed under the sports betting odds total this season. This game has the lowest total of the remaining bowl games so that is enough to go with it to land over 39.5 points.
Bet This Pick: Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Over 39.5
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3. Best Game Prop: Neither Team to Score Three Times in a Row (+175)
There is just so much uncertainty leading into this game. There are no common opponents and neither team faced a team from the other conference during the season.
When that happens, it is a case of looking at the college football game props that offer the best value. The two that stand out are for the first score to happen after the seven-minute mark, whicht carries +100 odds. However, with some many defensive contributors for both teams not expected to suit up for this game, we would steer clear of that as a betting option.
Go with the +175 odds for neither team to score more than three times in a row in your online bet.
Bet This Pick: Neither Northern Illinois nor Fresno State to Score Three Times in a Row (+175)
Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Score Prediction
Northern Illinois 24, Fresno State 20
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets
Questions Of The Day
Which team has a better record against the spread this season, Northern Illinois or Fresno State?
Fresno State is 7-6 against the spread this season while Northern Illinois is 4-6-2 against the spread.
Have Northern Illinois and Fresno State ever played in a bowl game?
Northern Illinois defeated Fresno State 40-17 in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl. That bowl is now known as the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
