Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Potato Bowl Pick & Prediction – 12/23/2024

The Northern Illinois Huskies will take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in the Potato Bowl on December 23, 2024, at 2:30 pm EST. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Bulldogs as three-point underdogs. The total for the game is set at 40.5. This matchup promises to be an exciting battle between two competitive teams, with both sides looking to secure a victory to close out their respective seasons.

Continue reading to get our best bet for Northern Illinois vs Fresno State in the Potato Bowl. Using our data-driven approach to college football betting, we have identified one wager that bettors should not pass up on in this contest. You can find that prediction and our breakdown of the keys to this game below.

Northern Illinois Looks to Close Out Strong Season

The Northern Illinois Huskies went 7-5 in the regular season, a season that included an upset win over a College Football Playoff team in Notre Dame. Going into this bowl game, the college football betting lines have the Huskies as favorites against Fresno State. But the inconsistent play of the Huskies could take them in any number of directions in the final game of their 2024 season.

Northern Illinois will be without its starting quarterback for this matchup, as Ethan Hampton has hit the transfer portal and is deciding on where to play next. As a result, we should see Josh Holst as the quarterback for the Huskies in this game. Holst has thrown 81 passes for the Huskies this season and has yet to throw a touchdown pass on the season, which is a concern for NIU going into this matchup.

Can Fresno State Finish Season Above .500?

The Fresno State Bulldogs have gone 6-6 to this point in the season. They dropped three of their final four regular season games, but they have an opportunity to finish their season with a winning record if they can win the Potato Bowl on Monday. But Fresno State is also dealing with transfer-related issues at the quarterback position, which could prevent them from getting a win that would move them to 7-6 at the conclusion of their campaign.

Mikey Keene threw for nearly 3,000 yards this season for the Bulldogs, but he has hit the portal and is not expected to play in this game. Instead, we will see one of Fresno State's backups under center for this matchup. It will be interesting to see whether the backups for Fresno can outperform a backup for Northern Illinois at the most important position on the field, as that could end up deciding the outcome of this contest.

Northern Illinois vs Fresno State Best Bet

Our best bet for Northern Illinois vs Fresno State in the Potato Bowl is for the game to stay under the total of 39.5 points. Both of these teams will struggle offensively with their backup quarterbacks in action. Look for them to have a hard time putting points on the board in what should be a less than stellar game to watch from the blue turf in Boise.