Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Western Michigan and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead N. Illinois 39-27.
If Western Michigan keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 5-13 in no time. On the other hand, N. Illinois will have to make due with a 4-14 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who's Playing
N. Illinois Huskies @ Western Michigan Broncos
Current Records: N. Illinois 4-13, Western Michigan 4-13
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: University Arena -- Kalamazoo, Michigan
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $26.25
What to Know
We've got another exciting Mid American matchup on schedule as the N. Illinois Huskies and the Western Michigan Broncos are set to tip at 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday at University Arena. The Huskies are no doubt hoping to put an end to a nine-game streak of away losses.
Last Saturday, N. Illinois couldn't handle Central Michigan and fell 71-66. The Huskies got off to an early lead (up 13 with 10:25 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren't able to maintain that momentum.
Quaran McPherson put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 8 for 12 en route to 22 points. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in threes (five).
Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored Western Michigan last Saturday, but the final result did not. They took an 85-76 hit to the loss column at the hands of Buffalo.
Western Michigan's loss came about despite a quality game from Chansey Willis Jr, who had 21 points along with six steals and five assists. Willis Jr is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was JaVaughn Hannah, who scored 16 points along with two steals.
N. Illinois' defeat dropped their record down to 4-13. As for Western Michigan, they have been struggling recently as they've lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-13 record this season.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday's matchup: N. Illinois has made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 9.2 threes per game. It's a different story for Western Michigan, though, as they've been averaging only 5.2. Given N. Illinois' sizable advantage in that area, Western Michigan will need to find a way to close that gap.
N. Illinois is hoping to beat the odds on Tuesday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. This contest will be their sixth straight as the underdogs (so far over this stretch they are 2-3 against the spread).
Odds
Western Michigan is a big 10-point favorite against N. Illinois, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Broncos as a 10.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 151.5 points.
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Series History
N. Illinois has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Western Michigan.
- Jan 09, 2024 - Western Michigan 95 vs. N. Illinois 90
- Feb 11, 2023 - N. Illinois 81 vs. Western Michigan 53
- Jan 31, 2023 - N. Illinois 73 vs. Western Michigan 59
- Feb 01, 2022 - N. Illinois 75 vs. Western Michigan 56
- Mar 02, 2021 - Western Michigan 73 vs. N. Illinois 63
- Feb 29, 2020 - Western Michigan 72 vs. N. Illinois 69
- Jan 25, 2020 - N. Illinois 58 vs. Western Michigan 52
- Feb 26, 2019 - N. Illinois 70 vs. Western Michigan 65
- Feb 12, 2019 - Western Michigan 76 vs. N. Illinois 74
- Feb 17, 2018 - N. Illinois 75 vs. Western Michigan 67