Illinois State vs. Northern Illinois prediction favors Illinois State to win in college football Week 2 [2026]

Northern Illinois and Illinois State will lock horns in Week 2 college football action at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium on Saturday, commencing at 7:00 PM ET.

Dimers' advanced college football model projects Illinois State as the most likely winner in this Illinois State vs. Northern Illinois prediction.

This article offers a closer look at Saturday's matchup, including an expanded look at the predicted score, best bets and picks, backed by the same system that has dominated college football and NFL betting markets across multiple seasons.

Illinois State vs. Northern Illinois prediction and odds

Using trusted machine learning and data analysis, we have re-simulated the result of Illinois State vs. Northern Illinois, forming part of our college football predictions coverage.

Our independent predictive model currently gives Illinois State a 57.7% chance of defeating Northern Illinois. Our predicted final score has Illinois State winning 26-22. According to our model, Northern Illinois (+3.5) has a 56.3% chance of covering the spread, while the 47.5-point over/under has a 54.2% chance of going over.

Latest betting odds

We have researched the best college football odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Spread: Illinois State -3.5 (+106) / Northern Illinois +3.5 (-130)
• Moneyline: Illinois State -146, Northern Illinois +125
• Total: Over/Under 47.5 (-115/-103)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Model picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best current odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Spread: Northern Illinois +3.5 @ -130 via FanDuel
• Moneyline: Illinois State @ -146 via FanDuel
• Total: Over 47.5 @ -115 via BetRivers

According to our college football best bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 47.5 total points.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the current available odds.

Game info & kickoff details

Saturday's college football game between Northern Illinois and Illinois State at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM ET.

• Who: Illinois State vs. Northern Illinois
• Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
• Time: 7:00 PM ET/4:00PM PT
• Venue: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium

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Conclusion

We predict Illinois State, with a 57.7% win probability, will likely beat Northern Illinois in Saturday's college football matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.

This article's predictions and probabilities are generated by Dimers' proprietary College Football prediction model. Our editorial team reviews the resulting content for accuracy and presentation before publication.