With another three-game slate of MACtion, this Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan prediction outlines the strengths and weaknesses of each program in this matchup. Who ultimately has the advantage in this game, and which players should you grab in your fantasy lineups?
Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan Betting Preview
- Spread
Northern Illinois (-1) - Moneyline
Northern Illinois (-425); Western Michigan (+340) - Over/Under
50 points - Game time
7 p.m. ET - Location
Waldo Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI - Predicted weather at kickoff
55 degrees, partly cloudy, 6-8 mph winds - How to watch
fuboTV, ESPNU
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Reminder, FanDuel gives you $60,000 to construct your best midweek MACtion lineup. They are also giving you a $10 bonus with a $1 entry, so take advantage of that as well.
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- QB N. Cremascoli ($8,200)
- QB J. Salopek ($7,500)
- QB T. Bourguet ($7,500)
- RB H. Waylee ($8,700)
- RB Sean Tyler ($8,500)
- RB A. Brown ($6,500)
- RB Z. Abdus-Salaam ($4,800)
- WR C. Crooms ($8,700)
- WR Cole Tucker ($8,500)
- WR J. Galloway ($5,800)
- WR S. Thornton ($6,000)
- WR K. Rutkiewicz ($7,000)
- TE L. Soraghan ($5,200)
- TE B. Bosma ($4,900)
With hapless passing attacks and one distinct advantage in this game, the DFS plays are really simple: find a way to Harrison Waylee and/or Antario Brown.
Waylee, the speedster at 5’10”, 192 pounds, is often too much for defenses to keep in check over four quarters. He can take over games and has a relatively high ceiling here, given he’s toted the rock at least 13 times in all but one game this year. Waylee has 17 catches this year to boot.
Brown, the bruiser at 5’10”, 218 pounds, adds a great complement to Waylee. Setting them up and knocking them down, Brown spells Waylee with a vengeance and has carried the ball at least 13 times in five outings this year. Though not a threat through the air, Brown can still be counted on for touchdowns and is a low-floor, high-ceiling play.
Cole Tucker is likely the only play worth taking in the wide receiver pool in this game, as he averages 14.7 yards per reception. Kacper Rutkiewicz is a touchdown-dependent option but has scored five this year through the air.
As far as Western Michigan’s options are concerned, Corey Crooms has 91 total targets this year, the second-most in the MAC. If they look to the air, odds are Crooms is the target. He averages over 14.0 yards per catch and has scored five of WMU’s nine receiving touchdowns this season.
On the ground, Sean Tyler and La’Darius Jefferson make up a good complementary duo in the backfield but have lacked consistent success in 2022. They are each barely averaging over four yards per attempt and have put the ball on the ground far too often.
Prediction for Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan
Western Michigan’s offense has been well below average this season. The Broncos have scored just 39 points over their last three games and have six outings this year in which they’ve scored 16 or fewer points.
While their defense has recently caught fire and limited their last two opponents to just 23 combined points, their offense has largely disappointed and scored just 25 points in those two games. It’s been a push-and-pull kind of season for WMU, and they’ve lacked consistency on both sides of the ball.
Consistency is not something that NIU has had on the defensive side of the ball, but they have had it on offense. The Huskies have a top-tier rushing attack led by Waylee.
They currently rank second in nearly every major category on the ground while leading the conference with 4.89 yards per attempt. And in what is expected to be a grind-it-out type of game, the advantage swings heavily to the Huskies.
Waylee is far exceeding the value for a running back by averaging nearly 6.0 yards per carry and is on pace to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in this game or the next. His running back partner — Brown — is also rushing for more than 5.5 yards per attempt, and the duo has scored 11 total touchdowns.
Through the air, however, it’s been an interesting season. Four different quarterbacks have seen significant action, and their win-on-the-ground approach has been born out of necessity at times. Still, the combination of Ethan Hampton, Rocky Lombardi, Nevan Cremascoli, and Justin Lynch has played well enough to put them in positions to win ballgames.
They were a single possession away from victories or extra time in four of their seven losses this season, and their 2022 calendar year could look a whole lot different with a consistent four quarters of action in each of those games.
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In this game, Western Michigan’s defense doesn’t quite have the chops on the ground to stand up to Waylee, Brown, and the Huskies. Their run defense has been good, at times, but their passing defense has been susceptible to completions and easy chunk plays.
That’s a recipe to see confidence grow in any one of the four quarterbacks NIU has trotted out there, not to mention Cremascoli is growing in confidence in his own right.
When it’s boiled down to brass tacks, the WMU rushing defense has allowed 14 scores on the ground. Make it 17, as the Huskies can run around this defense with little trouble.
NIU controls the trenches and runs away with it. Keep the under in mind here too.
Prediction: Northern Illinois 27, Western Michigan 16