Miami (OH) and Northern Illinois are set to face off in Week 6 of the college football season on Saturday. Both of these teams are 1-3 on the season so far and both sides would love to get their second win of the year in this contest. Here, I break down this weekend’s MACtion between the Redhawks and Huskies, and you can get my Miami (OH) vs Northern Illnois prediction below.
Our Miami (OH) vs Northern Illinois Pick
- Pick: Miami (OH) -4.5
- Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Miami (OH) RedHawks vs Northern Illinois Huskies
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, IL
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
- Quarterback Play: Miami starting quarterback Dequan Finn has been sidelined due to injury. Backup Henry Hesson has stepped in and his performance will be critical to the RedHawks’ success. Josh Holst is the leading passer at Northern Illinois but the Huskies have struggled to get anything going through the air this year.
- Offensive Struggles: Northern Illinois has struggled offensively, ranking last nationally in points per game. Holst has had difficulties, and the team relies heavily on the run game led by Chavon Wright and Telly Johnson Jr. The Huskies have failed to score more than 10 points against an FBS opponent this year. Miami (OH) struggled on offense against Big Ten opponents but have turned things around since then.
- Defensive Strength: Both teams have strong defenses and this is the best chance for both of those units to shut down an FBS opponent after playing against tough schedules in non-conference play.
Quarterback Play
Dequan Finn’s absence has been felt by Miami’s offense. Henry Hesson has filled in, but the RedHawks’ passing game has lacked consistency. Northern Illinois’s Josh Holst and his backups have also faced challenges, with limited success through the air. The team that can string together some completions and at least threaten to move the ball down the field will have the best chance to win this contest.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Miami (OH): The Redhawks are 2-2 against the spread going into this contest.
- Northern Illinois: Northern Illinois is 1-3 against the spread going into their MAC debut for the season.
- Over/Under Trends: The total has gone under in all four of Northern Illinois’ games this season. The Redhawks are 2-2 on over/unders heading into this matchup against the Huskies.
Miami (OH) vs Northern Illinois Model Projection
- Score Projection: Miami (OH) 24 – Northern Illinois 17
- Win Probability: Miami (OH) 66.4%, Northern Illinois 38.0%
Final Thoughts
Both defenses are expected to have success in this MAC matchup. But my best bet for this game will be for Miami (OH) to win and cover the spread. The Redhawks are dealing with some uncertainty at the quarterback position, but they should overcome that to get a win in their first conference game of the 2025 season.
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