Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs Northern Illinois Huskies Betting Preview

Enjoy an early dose of the bowl season Friday night with the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl featuring the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (10-2) squaring off with the Northern Illinois Huskies (9-4). Exploria Stadium in Orlando will play host to this game, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 pm ET.
Coastal Carolina finished the regular season with two straight victories, including a 27-21 victory over South Alabama in their last game. In the overtime win, Grayson McCall threw for 176 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 59 yards and another score.
The real hero of the game for the Chanticleers, though, was running back Shermari Jones. He rushed 23 times for 211 yards and a score.
Despite losing their regular-season finale to Western Michigan (42-21), the Huskies rebounded in the Mid-American Conference championship with a 41-23 victory over Kent State.
Rocky Lombardi threw for just 102 yards and an interception, but he rushed for 17 yards and three touchdowns. Jevyon Ducker did most of the heavy lifting with 146 yards rushing on 29 carries.
Coastal Carolina is the favorite in this one. They are -425 to win while the Huskies’ moneyline sits at +345. The spread features Northern Illinois +11 (-105), and the over/under for total points is 63.
By The Numbers
Coastal Carolina has had one of the strongest offenses in the country this season. They rank sixth in scoring averaging 39.4 points per game. Northern Illinois ranks 41st, averaging 30.8 points per game.
Defensively, it is again Coastal Carolina with the advantage. They rank 19th in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 20.5 points per game. The Huskies rank 108th allowing 34.3 points per game.
Coastal Carolina Came So Close To Perfect Season
It was one heck of a season for head coach Jamey Chadwell and the Chanticleers. While they finished second in the Sun Belt, they lost just two games by a combined five points. They will look to continue their dominance as they take on Northern Illinois Friday night.
Coastal Carolina’s high-octane offense is led by sophomore quarterback Grayson McCall. This season, he threw for 2,558 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 250 yards and another four scores.
Wide receiver Jaivon Heiligh and tight end Isaiah Likely dominated the passing game. Heiligh had 59 receptions for 1,034 yards and seven scores. Likely had 52 receptions for 816 yards and ten scores.
On the ground, senior running back Shermari Jones rushed 151 times for 988 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Northern Illinois Looks To Cap Off Remarkable Comeback Season
What a better year 2021 has brought for the Northern Illinois Huskies. Last season, the Huskies finished 0-6, but this year they bounced back for a 9-4 record and a MAC championship. They will look to cap that off with a bowl victory.
This is the first time the Huskies have been in a bowl since 2018, so they are not exuding with postseason experience. Still, with their MAC championship, the Huskies have shown they can definitely compete.
Under center, Rocky Lombardi leads the Huskies’ offense. This season, he threw for 2,416 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 406 yards and another eight scores.
The leading rusher for the Huskies is Jay Ducker (1,038 yards, three touchdowns). They have other contributors on the ground, including Harrison Waylee (574 yards, four touchdowns), Clint Ratkovich (448 yards, 12 touchdowns), and Antario Brown (433 yards, four touchdowns).
Lombardi’s favorite target through the air is wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph, who went for 49 receptions, 877 yards, and seven scores.
Take The Chanticleers To Win And Cover
While both of these teams had fantastic seasons, Northern showed a bit more inconsistency, especially on the defensive side. While both sides should put up some points, it is just hard to envision the Huskies’ defense doing enough to slow down the Chanticleers.
Take Coastal Carolina to not only win but to cover the 11-point spread as well.