Northern Illinois vs Buffalo Prediction, Picks & Odds | 17 Feb 2026

College Basketball Betting Preview: Northern Illinois vs Buffalo

The Northern Illinois Huskies battle the Buffalo Bulls, with tip-off scheduled for 18:30 on Tuesday, February 17.

There’s a generous line of -8.5 when it comes to Buffalo in their meeting with Northern Illinois. The -120 that they cover the spread has plenty of juice and our prediction is it will happen.

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Northern Illinois Huskies lost on the road in their previous game. Central Michigan Chippewas won 88-46.

Buffalo Bulls got the win in their last game. A 63-53 triumph occurred on the road when meeting Ball State.

Head-to-Head Statistics

Buffalo have beaten NIU in the last matchups. The victories came on the road by 73-67 and 81-67 scorelines. The past 10 H2H games have seen Buffalo land seven wins.

NCAAB	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Buffalo	15-10	1966	1871	95	7-6	8-4	1W
Northern Illinois	8-16	1705	1836	-131	6-4	2-12	2L

View Full Standings

Northern Illinois vs Buffalo Prediction & Picks

Dive into our Northern Illinois vs Buffalo betting tips, featuring an expert match prediction, our best correct score pick and a ready-made bet builder designed for value.

Game Prediction

There’s a great opportunity to cover the spread by backing Buffalo at -8.5 in this college showdown. We can get odds of -120 and this is our best pick.

Injuries can influence the outcome and our college basketball handicappers factor that in alongside the latest form guide. We apply the same approach to the stats to build the clearest picture of how the game might unfold.

Key Northern Illinois vs Buffalo stats:

• The +8.5 line hasn’t been covered by NIU in 3 of their last 5 games.
• The +8.5 line hasn’t been covered by NIU in 2 consecutive games.
• The -8.5 line has been covered by Buffalo in 6 of their last 10 games against NIU.

Buffalo -8.5 Probability

The best sportsbooks are estimating that there is a 54.6% likelihood of this pick delivering a return. In the opinion of our cappers, there’s actually a probability of success closer to 60%. That means we’re regarding it as a value wager.

There’s often the option to sell points and that allows you to leverage a bigger potential return. Conversely, buying points will give you a less-risky bet but smaller odds.

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Our Game Prediction

Buffalo -8.5 @ -120 Bet Now

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Correct Score Prediction

Northern Illinois 65 - 76 Buffalo

There are some big returns lying in wait if you can get the correct score right. With this in mind, we’ll have a play on the Bulls to enjoy a 76-65 winning scoreline.

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Northern Illinois vs Buffalo Odds

The odds and lines below are updated regularly and may differ from the prices shown in our picks, which are captured at the time of publication.

Buffalo are massive -526 favorites. They are regarded as 84% likely to win this college game judging by the sportsbooks’ latest Moneyline odds. For those wanting to oppose the market leader, you can get +385 about Northern Illinois.

The spread is currently 8.5, with the total points line at 147.5. There is no denying the popularity of betting on the Totals. Those that want to back Under 147.5 can find odds of -114 available.

College basketball bettors are spoilt for choice thanks to the huge selection of game lines and team props which are available for most matchups on the coupon. Head to the top betting apps and find the best value picks.

Moneyline

NIU

+385

Buffalo

-526

Point Spread

NIU +8.5

-102

Buffalo -8.5

-120

Total Points

Under 147.5

-114

Over 147.5

-106

Prop betting is very popular, with bettors looking to wager on player props such as Points, Assists, Rebounds, Steals and Three-Pointers. It’s a great way of betting on individual player performance and the gambling sites will provide lots of options.

It’s good to consider all wagering options when it comes to college basketball and micro betting can be an exciting way to get involved in the action. When everything goes in-game, consider whether the next shot will be a Two or a Three-pointer.

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Northern Illinois Stats

Buffalo Stats

Moneyline

• 3 wins and 7 defeats in the last 10 games
• 1 win and 9 defeats in the last 10 games on the road

Moneyline

• 2 wins and 8 defeats in the last 10 games
• 4 wins and 6 defeats in the last 10 home games

Point Spread

• +8.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 5 of the last 10 games
• +8.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the spread in 5 of the last 10 games on the road

Point Spread

• -8.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 2 of the last 10 games
• -8.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the spread in 2 of the last 10 home games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 137.70 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals on the Road: An average of 142.20 pts in the previous 10 games on the road
• Over 147.5: Covered in 3 of the previous 10 games
• Over 147.5 on the Road: Covered in 4 of the previous 10 games on the road
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 63.90 pts and allowed 73.80 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 63.70 pts and allowed 78.50 pts in the last 10 games on the road

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 158.10 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals at Home: An average of 156.00 pts in the previous 10 home games
• Over 147.5: Covered in 6 of the previous 10 games
• Over 147.5 at Home: Covered in 6 of the previous 10 home games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 76.80 pts and allowed 81.30 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 78.30 pts and allowed 77.70 pts in the last 10 home games

NCAAB Table Select Season 2025/20262024/20252023/20242022/20232021/20222020/20212019/2020

Mid-American	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Miami (OH)	25-0	2314	1857	457	15-0	10-0	25W
Akron	20-5	2247	1873	374	14-2	6-3	1W
Kent State	18-7	2124	2012	112	13-2	5-5	2W
Bowling Green	16-10	2141	1825	316	11-5	5-5	2W
Buffalo	15-10	1966	1871	95	7-6	8-4	1W
UMass	15-11	2106	1993	113	10-4	5-7	2L
Toledo	13-13	2102	2018	84	8-4	5-9	1L
Ohio	13-13	2017	2023	-6	10-6	3-7	2L
Western Michigan	9-16	1871	1983	-112	7-5	2-11	1W
Northern Illinois	8-16	1705	1836	-131	6-4	2-12	2L
Central Michigan	8-17	1849	1933	-84	7-4	1-13	1W
Ball State	8-17	1659	1751	-92	6-6	2-11	2L
Eastern Michigan	8-17	1764	1860	-96	5-5	3-12	8L

• Overall = Overall Wins-Losses
• PF = Total Points For
• PA = Total Points Against
• N. Pts = Point Differential
• Home = Home Record
• Away = Away Record
• Strk = Current Streak

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