This week's picks

Northern Illinois vs. UNLV Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Northern Illinois at UNLV

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 10:30 PM ET, Allegiant Stadium.

The numbers say: UNLV, 95% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 10:30 PM ET
TVCBSSN
WhereAllegiant Stadium
WeatherIndoors
LineUNLV −21.5, total 54.5
Line movementOpened UNLV −24.5; moved 3 points toward Northern Illinois. Total opened 52.5, up 2.
SeriesNorthern Illinois leads 5–0
Last meetingNorthern Illinois 38–30 in 2015

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+UNLV by 25.797%53
PRIMEUNLV by 25.296%
EloUNLV94%
The lineUNLV −21.5, opened −24.554.5, opened 52.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Northern Illinois or UNLV?

The numbers say: UNLV. 96% chance to win

Which matchups decide Northern Illinois vs. UNLV?

All three ratings favor UNLV, by 25.2 to 25.7 points, and it isn't close. UNLV's best matchup is its 3rd down offense, 26th in 3rd down conversion, against Northern Illinois' 3rd down defense at 137th. Northern Illinois' way back in is its offensive line, 50th in line yards per carry, against UNLV's run-stopping front at 132nd.

Northern Illinois with the ball

UNLV with the ball

Who's out for Northern Illinois and UNLV?

Northern Illinois

UNLV

How Northern Illinois and UNLV compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Northern Illinois and UNLV are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Northern Illinois' and UNLV's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Northern Illinois and UNLV?

On a neutral field, SP+ has UNLV 23.2 points better (82nd to 136th). PRIME also has UNLV ahead, by 22.7. Elo, which only sees results, also has UNLV ahead (69th to 132nd).

Northern IllinoisUNLV
SP+ overall-25.4 (136th)-2.2 (82nd)
SP+ offense13.5 (134th)25.3 (83rd)
SP+ defense38.4 (135th)27.6 (80th)
SP+ special teams-0.5 (124th)0.1 (54th)
PRIME net-27.9 (137th)-5.2 (94th)
PRIME offense-7.73 (122nd)-6.75 (116th)
PRIME defense-18.09 (138th)1.37 (55th)
PRIME SOS-1.3 (58th)-3.4 (76th)
PRIME SOR-3.7 (135th)-0.1 (72nd)
Elo1065 (132nd)1489 (69th)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Northern Illinois' offense ranks 120th in adjusted EPA per play, and the UNLV defense it faces ranks 54th in EPA per play allowed. UNLV's offense ranks 87th against Northern Illinois' 128th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is UNLV's offense against Northern Illinois' defense. The biggest edge on the board is Northern Illinois' offensive line in the run game: 50th in adjusted line yards per carry, against UNLV's 132nd-ranked defense. That's a mismatch.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.02 (120th)+0.07 (87th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.13 (105th)+0.19 (72nd)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.01 (119th)+0.05 (86th)
Success rate (adjusted)37.9% (118th)38.0% (115th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)43.8% (120th)44.0% (117th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)29.6% (90th)29.5% (92nd)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.95 (35th)0.94 (72nd)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)3.00 (50th)2.98 (58th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.08 (84th)1.18 (54th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.21 (128th)+0.08 (54th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.26 (105th)+0.13 (30th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.17 (133rd)+0.09 (95th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)48.7% (134th)40.1% (45th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.96 (115th)0.93 (62nd)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.13 (117th)3.22 (132nd)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)1.39 (127th)1.23 (95th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Northern Illinois or UNLV?

Northern Illinois is about as good throwing (124th in EPA per pass) as running (115th). UNLV is better throwing (69th in EPA per pass) than running (96th). Northern Illinois' pass defense ranks 135th, so that's a mismatch. On third down, UNLV has the edge: its offense ranks 39th in EPA per third-down play, and the defense it faces ranks 138th.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
EPA per play−0.04 (128th)+0.09 (88th)
EPA per pass+0.01 (124th)+0.22 (69th)
EPA per rush0.00 (115th)+0.04 (96th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.23 (118th)+0.57 (39th)
EPA per play allowed+0.34 (137th)+0.07 (56th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.48 (135th)+0.04 (21st)
EPA per rush allowed+0.28 (133rd)+0.17 (117th)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+1.04 (138th)+0.34 (50th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Northern Illinois or UNLV?

Northern Illinois is outscored by 23.5 a game, and UNLV by 0.4. Northern Illinois' offense ranks 135th in scoring, and the UNLV defense it faces ranks 64th in points allowed. UNLV's offense ranks 100th against Northern Illinois' 136th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is UNLV's offense against Northern Illinois' defense.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
Points scored15.1 (135th)24.1 (100th)
Points allowed38.6 (136th)23.7 (64th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Northern Illinois' best matchup is its run game: its offense ranks 95th in yards per carry, and UNLV's defense ranks 121st in yards per carry allowed. UNLV's best matchup is third downs: its offense ranks 26th in 3rd down conversion rate, and Northern Illinois' defense ranks 137th in 3rd down conversions allowed. That's a mismatch.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
Pass yards / game205.0 (96th)192.2 (108th)
Rush yards / game115.3 (128th)189.0 (43rd)
Yards per play5.55 (110th)6.34 (56th)
Yards per carry4.80 (95th)5.30 (60th)
Yards per attempt6.74 (107th)8.80 (26th)
Completion %69.0% (34th)70.2% (30th)
Success rate40.4% (100th)41.0% (92nd)
Explosive play rate10.6% (104th)11.4% (93rd)
3rd down conversion30.9% (129th)46.9% (26th)
Sack rate (taken)9.8% (122nd)10.9% (128th)
INT rate (thrown)2.8% (92nd)3.0% (98th)
SUPLEX54.6% (81st)50.2% (105th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Northern Illinois' defense is best placed to pick off passes: it ranks 48th in interception rate, and UNLV's offense is bottom-40 at avoiding interceptions (98th). UNLV's defense is best placed to get off the field on third down: it ranks 51st in 3rd down conversions allowed, and Northern Illinois' offense is bottom-20 in 3rd down conversion rate (129th). That's a mismatch.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
Pass yards allowed / game208.4 (63rd)208.5 (64th)
Rush yards allowed / game221.6 (132nd)203.0 (126th)
Yards per play allowed6.49 (109th)5.65 (64th)
Yards per carry allowed5.97 (126th)5.75 (121st)
Yards per attempt allowed7.44 (79th)5.85 (18th)
Success rate allowed49.8% (134th)38.2% (45th)
Explosive plays allowed13.2% (106th)13.0% (105th)
3rd downs allowed56.4% (137th)36.6% (51st)
Sack rate (generated)3.9% (121st)4.9% (100th)
INT rate (generated)3.1% (48th)2.3% (72nd)
SUPLEX allowed63.8% (129th)54.3% (73rd)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

UNLV has the better number in 8 of 12. The biggest gap is second-level yards per carry, where Northern Illinois ranks 20th and UNLV 85th.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
Big Uglies: offensive line44.8 (113th)47.4 (93rd)
Big Uglies: defensive front37.2 (132nd)40.2 (124th)
Line yards per carry3.10 (57th)3.01 (83rd)
Line yards allowed per carry3.49 (134th)3.63 (136th)
Second-level yards per carry1.27 (20th)1.04 (85th)
Open-field yards per carry0.90 (104th)1.30 (55th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)21.8% (118th)16.7% (56th)
Stuff rate (defense)12.4% (134th)13.3% (130th)
Power success (short yardage)72.7% (66th)72.0% (69th)
Power success allowed80.5% (120th)71.0% (68th)
Front-seven havoc allowed11.4% (121st)9.5% (84th)
Front-seven havoc5.7% (138th)8.0% (109th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

UNLV is −0.2 in turnover margin a game and Northern Illinois is −0.7. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 3-point edge for UNLV. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
Interceptions thrown / game0.86 (84th)0.67 (60th)
Fumbles lost / game0.86 (116th)0.83 (115th)
Giveaways / game1.71 (117th)1.50 (101st)
Interceptions / game0.86 (45th)1.33 (9th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.14 (121st)0.00 (131st)
Takeaways / game1.00 (88th)1.33 (55th)
Turnover margin / game-0.7 (116th)-0.2 (84th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

UNLV has the more talented roster (56th in the 247Sports talent composite; Northern Illinois is 126th). UNLV also plays further above its talent: −4.3 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Northern Illinois' −17.5.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
Talent composite536.6 (126th)696.0 (56th)
Blue-chip ratio0.0% (126th)14.1% (52nd)
Players on roster114 (44th)108 (87th)
Rated by 247Sports73 (87th)78 (70th)
5-star players0 (37th)3 (17th)
4-star players0 (126th)8 (62nd)
3-star players68 (37th)67 (45th)
Below 3-star5 (29th)0 (113th)
2026 transfers in20 (76th)20 (76th)
Transfer share27.4% (75th)25.6% (86th)
SP+ vs. talent-17.5 (134th)-4.3 (94th)
Returning production43.7% (61st)15.4% (107th)
Returning passing production137.7% (2nd)3.8% (98th)
Returning rushing production28.9% (83rd)31.1% (80th)
Returning receiving production92.9% (3rd)14.3% (115th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)82 (82nd)63 (63rd)
Recruiting rank, last four classes92.0 (85th)92.5 (89th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Northern Illinois is −3.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−1.8). UNLV is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−0.7). Northern Illinois' record is 1.4 wins worse than its play on bad luck, so it's better than the record says.

Northern IllinoisUNLV
RECEIPTS (total)-3.5 (138th)+0.5 (57th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.5 (67th)+0.6 (64th)
Roster RECEIPTS-0.8 (124th)+0.2 (59th)
Coach RECEIPTS-1.8 (131st)-0.7 (96th)
Luck RECEIPTS-1.4 (131st)+0.3 (45th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Northern Illinois at UNLV: questions people ask

Northern Illinois vs. UNLV prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick UNLV, 96% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. UNLV's best matchup is its 3rd down offense, 26th in 3rd down conversion, against Northern Illinois' 3rd down defense at 137th.

Where can I watch Northern Illinois vs. UNLV, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 10:30 PM ET at Allegiant Stadium. It's on CBSSN.

What's the projected score of Northern Illinois vs. UNLV?

SP+ projects UNLV 39–13. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Northern Illinois at UNLV?

DraftKings has UNLV −21.5, total 54.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Northern Illinois vs. UNLV series history?

Northern Illinois leads 5–0. Last meeting: Northern Illinois won 38–30 in 2015.

Who are the players to watch in Northern Illinois vs. UNLV?

Northern Illinois: Taron Dickens (1,378 passing yards), Telly Johnson Jr. (462 rushing yards) and DeAree Rogers (549 receiving yards). UNLV: Jackson Arnold (1,443 passing yards), Jai'Den Thomas (533 rushing yards) and Kayden McGee (330 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Northern Illinois at UNLV?

Northern Illinois' is Taron Dickens (1,378 passing yards this season); UNLV's is Jackson Arnold (1,443 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Northern Illinois and UNLV: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.