Northern Illinois vs Kent State Basketball Odds

The Huskies will play the Golden Flashes on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026. Your timezone's tip off time is 1:00 pm EST. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.

Review our College Basketball Betting guide to learn how to bet this game.


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Table of Contents

Key Matchup Stats

Looking into the second half of the 2025-26 college basketball season, Northern Illinois and Kent State are set to hit the hardwood on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026. Luckily, we have some clear performance trends emerging now that each team has more than a dozen games under their belts. Use the following data to help analyze this matchup and to place an intelligent wager on its ultimate outcome.

  • SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - With the 2025-26 season in full stride, Northern Illinois currently has a 95.33 conference power ranking, while the SportsBetting3.com conference power ranking for Kent State is 97.67.
  • Away Northern Illinois - Northern Illinois starts this game with a 1-6 record as an away team, ranking them 4th in the MAC Conference for away team wins.
  • Home Kent State - Kent State meets Northern Illinois boasting a 7-1 record as a home team. They currently rank 1st in the MAC Conference for home team wins.
  • Conference Win Percentage - Northern Illinois currently ranks 2nd (0.500) in the MAC Conference, with Kent State now standing 1st (1.000) for their conference win percentage in the 2025 MAC Conference for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
  • Overall Win Percentage - Northern Illinois has a 0.385 overall win percentage, with Kent State matching up with a 0.769 overall win percentage.
  • Team Records - Northern Illinois currently possesses 5-8 regular season overall record. Meanwhile, Kent State has tallied a 10-3 standing as the 2025-26 college basketball season continues to unfold.

Moneyline Mage

Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.

Moneyline Mage
Moneyline Mage

Oh, ho! Northern Illinois must win to improve 5-8 overall standing.

Kent State is tough with a 10-3 record, 1-0 in MAC Conference.

Review the tables below to find the best point spread, total, and moneylines for this game. You can bet on college basketball legally at BetRivers and BetMGM.

Importance of college basketball conference records will determine tournament seeds. Northern Illinois is 1-1 in MAC. Kent State is 1-0 in MAC.

Northern Illinois has a lost their last game current streak, while Kent State also has a lost their last game current streak.

We've also listed each team's futures odds and current standings below.

Best Huskies at Golden Flashes Odds


Best Point Spread Betting Odds
Underdog

Northern Illinois
Favorite

Kent State
Kent State has a -16.5 -114 point spread at BetRivers PA. They are the point spread favorite in this matchup. Northern Illinois has a +16.5 -109 point spread at BetRivers PA. Northern Illinois is the point spread underdog. Review how to bet on a point spread with our text and video tutorials.

Best Total Betting Odds
OverUnder
BetRivers has the best over line of 158.5 points. Risk $112 to win $100. BetRivers has the best under line of 158.5 points. Risk $110 to win $100. Our tutorial explains more about total bets.

Best Moneyline Betting Odds
Underdog

Northern Illinois
Favorite

Kent State
Kent State is the -2500 moneyline favorite. Risk $2,500 to win $100 on Kent State at BetRivers. Northern Illinois is the +1000 underdog at BetRivers. Risk $100 to win $1,000 on Northern Illinois. Learn more about how to bet on money lines.

Matchup Odds FAQs

What is the point spread for the Northern Illinois vs Kent State College Basketball game on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026?

Kent State is a -16.5 -114 point spread favorite at BetRivers, while Northern Illinois is a +16.5 -109 point spread underdog at BetRivers.

What is the over-under total line for the Northern Illinois vs Kent State College Basketball game on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026?

The best over line is 158.5 -112 points at BetRivers, which means you risk $112 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 158.5 -110 points at BetRivers, and that means you risk $110 to win $100 betting the under.

What is the moneyline for the Northern Illinois vs Kent State College Basketball game on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026?

Kent State is a -2500 moneyline favorite at BetRivers and Northern Illinois is a +1000 moneyline underdog at BetRivers.

College Basketball Odds Example

College Basketball Odds and Outcomes Explained

Game
BetRivers Sports Betting BetRivers
Bet
Northern Illinois
Kent State
1/03/26 1:00pm EST
+16.5 -109-16.5 -114
Bet $100 at BetRivers Pennsylvania
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Underdog Northern Illinois - Northern Illinois bettors risk $100 to win $91.74 at -109 odds.

A +16.5 Northern Illinois underdog bet wins if they lose by 16 or fewer, tie, or win outright. Your bet loses if they lose by 17 or more.

Favorite Kent State - Kent State bettors risk $100 to win $87.72 at -114 odds.

A -16.5 Kent State favorite bet wins if they win by 17 or more. Your bet loses if they win by 16 or fewer, tie, or lose outright.

Northern Illinois at Kent State Prop Bets

Important Note: Some states expressly forbid individual college athlete prop bets. The following wagers may not be available depending on your particular state laws.

College Basketball Prop Bets
+ Displays more odds
BetRivers Sports Betting BetRivers
Bet
Kent State
Team Total Points
NIU at KENT
1/03/26 1:00pm EST
88.5 o -11288.5 u -127Bet
Northern Illinois
Team Total Points
NIU at KENT
1/03/26 1:00pm EST
70.5 o -11870.5 u -121Bet

Team Standings

2025-2026 College Basketball Regular Season Standings - Northern Illinois, Kent State
Team W-L Win% Home Away Conf CGB Conf% Strk
Kent State24-100.70614-37-614-4+40.778L2
Northern Illinois9-210.3006-73-144-14+140.222L5

Northern Illinois & Kent State Futures Odds

Latest College Basketball Championship odds, if available, for each team. Review March Madness odds for other teams and learn how to bet on the college basketball tournament. Also be sure to read Ron Halfback's Final Four write-up.

Northern Illinois Championship Odds

No NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Northern Illinois YR: futures available

Kent State Championship Odds
2026-27 Kent State NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Odds

Team
BetRivers Sports Betting BetRivers
Kent State
+100000
Bet

Northern Illinois & Kent State Team Pages

Review each team's futures odds, betting bonuses, current standings and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:

How to Bet on the Game

Time needed: 4 minutes.

How to Bet on the Northern Illinois vs Kent State College Basketball Game

  1. Open a new sports betting account before game time.

    Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Saturday, January 3rd, 2026 at 1:00 pm EST, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.

  2. Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.

    Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.

  3. Tap to the sportsbook's College Basketball page, look for the Northern Illinois vs Kent State Game.

    Navigate to the sportsbook's College Basketball page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Northern Illinois vs Kent State Game.

  4. Choose your bet and place a wager.

    Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.

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