Arkansas State Red Wolves vs NIU Huskies Prediction, 12/23/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Arkansas State Red Wolves vs NIU Huskies

Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023

Location: Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, AL

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Huskies (-2)

Total/Over-Under: 49.5

The NIU Huskies (6-6) will compete against the Arkansas State Red Wolves (6-6) at Cramton Bowl on Saturday, December 23, 2023 in the Camellia Bowl. Arkansas State is 2-point dogs from Vegas oddsmakers. The total comes in at 49.5.

The Arkansas State Red Wolves head into this game 6-6 this season. The last time they took the field, the Red Wolves faced the Marshall Thundering Herd and ended up losing by a score of 35-21. Ja'Quez Cross was the best rusher for the Red Wolves with 11 attempts for 27 yds (2.5 yards per attempt). Jaylen Raynor connected on 19/38 with 263 yards passing and 1 TD. He had a quarterback rating of 111.6 and ended the contest with 1 pick. When it came to stopping the run, the Red Wolves conceded 279 yds on 53 attempts, which is an average of 5.3 yards per rush allowed. Arkansas State relinquished 16 pass completions on 22 tries for 214 yds, and a completion percentage of 72.7%. At the end of the game, they had 67 plays which totaled 305 yds. The Arkansas State Red Wolves ended up rushing 29 times and totaled 42 yds, earning them an average of 1.4 yards per attempt.

The Red Wolves have earned 4,506 total yards for this campaign. In terms of getting the ball in the endzone, Arkansas State has amassed 16 passing touchdowns and 20 touchdowns on the ground. They have surrendered the football 12 different times. Arkansas State has compiled 239 first downs as an offense, and they have committed 74 infractions for 744 yds. As a team they have an average of 151.5 yards rushing which ranks them 74th in the country. Regarding scoring, the Arkansas State Red Wolves are averaging 27.8 points per game.

The Red Wolves are ranked 107th in the nation concerning team defense, allowing 31.2 PPG. The opposition is running for an average of 4.8 yards per run and 183.8 yards on the ground per contest this year. During this campaign, they have conceded 2,206 rushing yards through 12 games. When talking about yards through the air, the Red Wolves have conceded 3,140 yds which puts them in 118th in college football. They have conceded 261.7 yards per contest through the air in addition to conceding a completion percentage of 69.2%. In total, they are surrendering 445.5 yards per game which puts them 127th in Division 1. They have surrendered 23 touchdowns via the pass as well as 22 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Huskies head into this matchup 6-6 this season. In their last game, the Huskies got the victory with a final of 37-27 when they played the Kent State Golden Flashes. Rocky Lombardi (1 TD) finished the contest with 183 yards on 9/18 through the air while his QB rating was 153.7. He didn't throw any interceptions and his Y/A was 10.2. Gavin Williams ran the ball 17 times for 103 yds, ending the game with 6.1 yards per carry for NIU. The Huskies finished the contest with 426 yards on 58 plays (7.3 yards per play). NIU ran for 6.1 yards per tote, finishing the contest with 243 yds on 40 attempts. NIU allowed 34 rushing attempts for 121 yards (3.6 yards per rush). The Huskies pass defense allowed a completion rate of 57.1%, surrendering 245 yards on 16 out of 28 through the air.

Concerning their scoring prowess, the Huskies are sitting 82nd in the country averaging 25.3 PPG. The NIU Huskies are averaging 365.1 yards/outing, which ranks them 79th in Division 1. The NIU offense has totaled 492 yards of penalties on 55 infractions, which has them sitting 119th in college football in terms of making mistakes. They have given away 7 picks while losing 10 fumbles and they have recorded 220 1st downs. For the year so far, the Huskies have compiled 2,236 passing yards together with an average of 186.3 passing yards per outing, ranking them 107th in the nation. They hold an average of 178.8 run yards per game and have toted the ball for 2,146 yards for the year.

NIU has surrendered a total of 1,828 yards rushing (152.3 yards per game) in addition to 20 touchdowns via the rush for the campaign. They have surrendered 11 touchdowns from the passing game as well as 164.6 yards per game, which puts them in 6th in Division 1. They have tallied 5 fumbles recovered and 10 picks for the season. The Huskies defense has taken the field for 755 plays, which ranks them 24th in D-1. The Huskies are giving up 21.2 PPG, which has them sitting 31st in Division 1. This season, they have relinquished 254 pts.

Who will win tonight's Red Wolves/Huskies college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Red Wolves +2

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