Potato Bowl Preview: Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Northern Illinois Huskies

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will feature a battle between the Northern Illinois Huskies (7-5) and Fresno State Bulldogs (6-6) on Monday, December 23 at 2:30 PM ET at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Check out the college football betting opportunity where the Huskies are slight favorites with a point spread at -3.0 (-105).

Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Preview

The Huskies have gone 3-2 in their last five games, with a recent 24-16 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas. After the first quarter, it appeared as if the Huskies were going to run away with it after being up 19-0 heading into the second.

However, they allowed the Chippewas a run of their own to make it 21-16 heading into the half, with a couple more points added on their end to stop the bleeding defensively. Ethan Hampton was solid, as he compiled 19 of 30 passes for 169 yards.

Their offense put up 332 yards and 22 first downs while holding the Chippewas to 204 yards, 15 first downs, and forced two turnovers. As you can see, the Huskies can put up points in a hurry but have a vulnerable defense at times.

The Huskies have produced 24.2 points a game and rank 95th in the country, while allowing 18.4 points a game from opposing teams and ranking 15th. This is a great spread, but only if their defense holds up.

Fresno State Bulldogs Betting Preview

The Bulldogs have lost three out of their last five matchups and are coming off of a loss. Their latest defeat was a 20-13 performance against the UCLA Bruins.

They were down early, but they put up a strong second quarter to go up 10-6 at the half. However, their momentum did not last long as they could only add three more points while allowing the Bruins to visit the endzone twice. Mikey Keene completed 30 of 43 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.

Their offense was a bit stagnant overall, as they put up 281 yards, 15 first downs, and turned it over once. They also had possession of the ball just under 23 minutes, hindering their chances at scoring opportunities.

The Bulldogs are 78th in the nation for scoring 26.6 points a game. Their defense ranks 66th for allowing 24.6 points from opponents. This is a narrow margin of victory, which has not worked out in their favor much over their last five games.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

Our Potato Bowl betting preview uses odds from MyBookie, who currently have the Huskies favored by three points. However, market predictions suggest the Bulldogs have a 56.0 percent chance of winning. Overall, the Huskies present a good case to cover the spread with more appealing momentum.

Final Pick: Northern Illinois Huskies -3.0 (-105)