First, a look at their seasons to date:

The Cardinals are 6-4, both straight up and against the spread, and are coming off a bye week. Now I know it can be risky betting against a team coming off its bye, but I don’t think that extra rest and preparation time will be factors in this game. In their last action, the Cardinals barely beat the Eastern Michigan Eagles 33-31 on Nov. 5, and covered as a 2-point road underdog, while the score was over the total of 54.

Northern Illinois, on the other hand, has been on fire, winning five straight games to improve to 7-3 SU and 5-5 ATS. The Huskies won their fifth straight with a 45-14 result against the Bowling Green Falcons last Tuesday. They cashed as a 6-point road favorite, while the score was under the total.

And Northern Illinois is 7-3 SU, although just 5-5 ATS, in the past 10 meetings with Ball State, which includes a 59-21 rout in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 20 last year. Northern Illinois cashed as a 15.5-point road favorite and took the score over the total of 53 by itself.

The Cardinals have been awful on the road recently, at 6-12 SU in their last 18, and the Huskies are 13-2 SU in their last 15 games at home, which adds up to a decisive Huskies win in this game.

Check out expert handicapper Scott Matthews’ podcast here, or check out www.smpicks.com.