The 2021 college football bowl season kicks off Friday, December 17, with a couple of games around the country, including the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida, so we bring you the best Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina betting pick and odds.  

The Huskies and Chanticleers have never met before. According to Bookmaker Sportsbook, Coastal Carolina is a firm 10.5-point fave, while the totals are listed at 63.0 points.  

Northern Illinois beat Kent State for the MAC championship 

The Northern Illinois Huskies improved to 9-4 SU and 8-4-1 ATS on the season following a 41-23 thrashing of the Kent State Golden Flashes in the MAC Championship Game on December 4. The Huskies shut down their rivals in the first half and cruised through the second to grab their second conference title in four years.

Junior signal-caller Rocky Lombardi led the way against the Golden Flashes with three rushing touchdowns. He went only 7-of-15 for 102 yards and an interception, but the Huskies’ ground game worked well and recorded 266 yards on 61 carries.

Lombardy has tossed for 2,416 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight picks so far this season. The Huskies score 31.5 points per game (tied-43rd in the country) on 234.3 rushing yards (5th) and 187.8 passing yards (105th). They surrender 32.7 points in a return (107th) on 215.8 rushing yards (120th) and 232.5 passing yards (73rd).

Coastal Carolina aims for its third straight win  

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (10-2; 5-6-1 ATS) wrapped up the regular season with a 27-21 road victory over the South Alabama Jaguars on November 26. It was their second win on the spin and fourth in their previous five showings at any location.

The Chanticleers needed overtime to outlast the Jaguars as 15-point favorites. Sophomore QB Grayson McCall scored the winning TD on a 25-yard run, while senior RB Shermari Jones finished with 23 totes for 211 yards and a TD.

McCall has thrown for 2,558 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only three interceptions so far this term. The Chanticleers are a run-heavy team, averaging 230.4 rushing yards per contest (6th in the country) and 5.7 per carry (1st). They score 40.4 points per game (6th) and surrender 20.0 in a return (19th) on 135.6 rushing yards (tied-41st) and 190.9 passing yards (15th). 

Trends:

Northern Illinois:

  • 1-7 ATS in the last eight games played in December

Coastal Carolina:

  • N/A

Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina Pick

On paper, Coastal Carolina is a much better defensive team than Northern Illinois, so I have to go with the Chanticleers to win and cover. The Huskies will struggle to cope with the Chanticleers’ dynamic offense that is capable of hurting its opponents both through the air and on the ground.

Coastal Carolina’s defense has had some ups and downs this season, but it’s still yielding 3.9 yards per rush (tied-50th in the country). Northern Illinois, on the other side, surrenders 5.7 yards per carry (122nd).

Pick: Take Coastal Carolina -10.5 at -110              

The Total:

The over is 5-2 in Northern Illinois’ last seven games overall, while the under is 5-2 in Coastal Carolina’s previous seven. The betting trends are not helping a lot, but we should see a high-scoring affair, as both teams have been putting big numbers on the scoreboard all season long.

The Huskies have accounted for 30-plus points in each but one of their last seven outings. On the other side, the Chanticleers have scored 28 or more points in four of their previous five contests overall.

Pick: Go over 63.0 points at -110