It is time to continue our college football odds series with an Eastern Illinois-Northwestern prediction and pick. Find how to watch Eastern Illinois Northwestern.
The Northwestern Wildcats have a familiar problem: It is hard for them to score. They played an ugly, low-scoring season opener against Miami of Ohio. They dug out a win, but only because their defense carried the freight in a 13-6 survival act. Then Northwestern went into Week 2 and managed only 20 points in overtime versus Duke. Not scoring in the overtime period — when a team starts with the ball on the opponent's 25-yard line — embodied the struggles for the Wildcats on that side of the ball. Their defense is doing its job, but as we see with so many teams in just about any sport, not just college football, one side of the ball needs help from the other side and just isn't receiving it. The frustration of losing is considerable in its own right and on its own terms, but the added context of playing a good defensive game and not getting rewarded for it has to be extra irritating to Northwestern coaches and players. They know they have one facet of football largely figured out; this defense is going to be good for NU in 2024. They just have to be able to make improvements on offense in order for this season to reach its potential or at least come close to doing so.
Northwestern, which is debuting a lakefront stadium this year after demolishing the old and outdated Ryan Field, wants to give its season ticket holders a real show in 2024, but so far, the defense is the only part of this team which is fulfilling its end of the bargain. The mandate is clear: The offense needs to join the party in Week 3 and prepare for the start of the Big Ten schedule later in September.
Here are the Eastern Illinois-Northwestern College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Eastern Illinois-Northwestern Odds
Eastern Illinois: +24.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +2400
Northwestern: -24.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -10000
Over: 36.5 (-105)
Under: 36.5 (-115)
How to Watch Eastern Illinois vs Northwestern
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Eastern Illinois Could Cover The Spread/Win
The over-under total for this game is 36.5 points. That tells you right there that Northwestern is not expected to score many points. If you look at the spread and the total, the oddsmakers are predicting a 31-6 win for Northwestern. That's the score which would be at the spread and total if you round up from half a point to a full point. It brings up a very simple line of argument for taking Eastern Illinois against the spread: If EIU can simply score seven points — the PAT on top of a touchdown — Northwestern could not cover the spread with just 31 points. It would need more to cover. Given what we have seen from the NU offense, that is not likely.
Why Northwestern Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Northwestern offense is not good, but Eastern Illinois is a weak cupcake opponent. Northwestern doesn't need an advanced or highly sophisticated offense to dominate the game and score big. NU can mash with its bigger offensive line and score in the high 30s or low 40s, which would still be enough to cover.
Final Eastern Illinois-Northwestern Prediction & Pick
The NU offense isn't good, but Eastern Illinois might be weak enough that Northwestern can still run away with this game and blow the doors off. Ultimately, though, we are going to recommend that you stay away from this game.
Final Eastern Illinois-Northwestern Prediction & Pick: Northwestern -24.5