The Miami (OH) RedHawks will host the Northern Illinois Huskies in college basketball on Saturday afternoon. The RedHawks are still undefeated this season and ranked inside the top-25, where they will look to stay with a 22nd straight win this season in this contest. Here, I break down Saturday's MACtion in college basketball and I've got you covered with my Northern Illinois vs Miami (OH) prediction.
Our Northern Illinois vs Miami (OH) Pick
Pick: Miami (OH) -17.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup:
Northern Illinois Huskies @ Miami (OH) RedHawks
Date & Time:
Saturday, January 31, 2026, 3:30 PM ET
Venue:
Millett Hall, Oxford, Ohio
Broadcast:
ESPN+
Key Storylines
Miami (OH) enters at 21-0 overall and 9-0 in MAC play, fueled by an offense averaging 94.1 points per game. They are led by Brant Byers' 15.1 PPG and Eian Elmer's 5.9 RPG on the glass. But this RedHawks team gets contributions from so many members of their roster and that will be expected to continue at home in this matchup.
Northern Illinois sits at 7-13 and 3-6 in league games, with scoring led by Makhai Valentine's 14.0 PPG and rebounding from Taj Walters. The Huskies just handled Western Michigan 85-65 at home, a welcome sight after two straight road losses. Northern Illinois is 6-3 at home this season, but they are just 1-10 on the road and are facing another tough road game here.
Miami's offensive efficiency has been a sight to behold this season. The RedHawks are shooting 54% from the field so far this season and they try to avoid an off day here in order to stay unbeaten for the season.
At this point, there is a real conversation to be had surrounding Miami (OH) as it pertains to a potential at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. They need to keep winning games to remain under consideration for an at-large bid, but they are just a handful of wins away from having a real argument that they belong in the field of 68 even if they fail to win the MAC tourney.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
Miami (OH) is 37-21 all-time against Northern Illinois.
Northern Illinois is 10-8 against the spread going into this matchup.
Miami (OH) enters this matchup at 13-5 against the spread for the season.
The under is 12-6 in games involving the Huskies this season.
The RedHawks have gone 14-4 to the over so far this season.
Miami OH’s body of work at home, their undefeated record, and their elite scoring offense make the RedHawks the rightful favorite here. Northern Illinois can compete in stretches if their perimeter shooting holds up and turnovers stay low, but the home team's depth, passing, and shot quality point to a huge cushion throughout. I'm going to lay the points with Miami (OH) in this matchup in the MAC.
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