Tuesday night MACtion heads to Dekalb, Ill., as Western Michigan (6-4) travels to Northern Illinois (3–7) at Huskie Stadium to kick off college football Week 13.
The Western Michigan Broncos enter with one of the MAC’s most explosive rushing attacks. QB Broc Lowry ranking sixth in rushing yards (683), while the Northern Illinois Huskies counter with a defense that thrives on disruption.
Below, we break down our Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois prediction and Tuesday college football pick, also highlighting the top PrizePicks player projection targets for this showdown set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois Prediction, Preview: Tuesday, Nov. 18
WMU enters Tuesday after a 17–13 win over Ohio that pushed the Broncos to 6–4 overall and 5–1 in the MAC, giving them sole possession of first place. The offense once again leaned on QB Broc Lowry and RB Jalen Buckley, who combined for 2 rush TDs and controlled the pace when Western Michigan needed positive early-down production.
NIU returns home after a 45–3 rout of UMass, a game defined by the breakout of transfer quarterback Jalen Macon, who delivered 4 TDs in his first NIU start. The Huskies ripped off 318 rushing yards and scored on seven of their first eight drives, pairing explosive ground production with one of their sharpest defensive efforts of the season.
Here’s a closer look at our Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois prediction and matchup breakdown for Tuesday night in the MAC.
Western Michigan Preview vs. Northern Illinois
Western Michigan's offense is built around running with Lowry and Buckley, who combined for 32 carries and 174 rushing yards in last week’s win over Ohio. Lowry added a 1-yard rushing score, while Buckley punched in the game-winning 3-yard TD early in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos’ identity remains rooted in a run-heavy script, and their efficiency improves when the backfield creates reliable gains on early downs.
Broncos’ rushing expected points added (EPA) has trended upward in recent weeks, per CFBGraphs. Western Michigan posted +0.012 EPA per rush on 38 attempts against Central Michigan and followed that with -0.130 EPA per play against Ohio in a game shaped by field position and defensive stops.
The offense has stabilized in stretches, with positive rushing EPA in three of its last five games.
Lowry continues to shape the offense through his legs more than his arm. His mobility has become the Broncos’ most consistent source of drive-sustaining production. Western Michigan has found complementary sparks through receivers like Tailique Williams, who turned a behind-the-line pass into a 71-yard catch-and-run last week, setting up the Buckley TD that flipped the game.
Defensively, Western Michigan remains volatile. The Broncos have allowed opponents to generate efficient passing EPA in multiple recent matchups, including +0.745 EPA per pass allowed against Central Michigan and +0.260 EPA per rush allowed against Ohio, per CFB Graphs. The defense has battled but continues to give up explosive plays that extend drives.
Northern Illinois Preview vs. Western Michigan
Northern Illinois produced its cleanest performance of the season in the 45–3 win over UMass. In his first start since transferring from Arkansas–Pine Bluff, QB Jalen Macon accounted for 4 total TDs, including 3 rushing TDs and a 67-yard TD pass to Elijah Porter.
He finished with 98 rushing yards on 12 attempts and became the first NIU quarterback to win his debut start since Rocky Lombardi in 2021. That said, he'll get a much tougher test in Western Michigan's defense, allowing just 4.7 yards per play (19th in CFB) — UMass ranks 123rd in the same stat.
The Huskies’ rushing attack overwhelmed UMass with 318 yards at 5.8 yards per carry, marking the team’s most efficient ground performance of the season. Chavon Wright added 86 yards and a short rushing TD, and the offense generated six plays of 20+ yards during a stretch where it scored on seven of eight possessions.
NIU’s run game has been inconsistent this season, but the matchup against UMass revealed the upside. The Huskies posted +0.398 EPA per rush against Ohio in Week 8 and added -0.013 EPA per rush in a competitive showing against Mississippi State, signaling that their ceiling rises dramatically when the offensive line wins early-down leverage.
Defensively, NIU delivered one of its most complete outings all season. The Huskies held UMass to 65 rushing yards and allowed only a 44-yard field goal.
Opponents averaged just 4.7 yards per pass and reached the red zone only once. NIU has posted positive defensive EPA against several opponents, including +0.173 EPA per rush allowed against Mississippi State and +0.361 EPA per rush allowed against Ohio.
Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois Picks for PrizePicks Today
Here are the top Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois picks for PrizePicks CFB, plus projections to target, for Tuesday night's MACtion.
Western Michigan QB Broc Lowry vs. NIU Projection: 91.5 Rushing Yards
- QB Broc Lowry leads all MAC quarterbacks in rushing, with 683 yards on 143 attempts this season, good for 68.3 rushing yards per game.
- The sophomore ranks No. 6 among all FBS quarterbacks in total rushing attempts (140) this year, reflecting one of the most run-heavy QB roles in the country, per PFF.
- Lowry has logged 14+ rushing attempts in seven of his last eight games, including 22 carries vs. Central Michigan on November 1.
- Lowry averages 4.8 yards per carry against conference opponents, and has produced 22 runs of 10+ yards, per cfbstats.com.
Northern Illinois QB Jalen Macon vs. WMU Projection: 105.5 Passing Yards
- QB Jalen Macon has completed 63.4 percent of his passes this season, delivering efficient short-range production while limiting turnover-worthy plays.
- Western Michigan allows 244.7 passing yards per game and sits 10th in the MAC in yards per attempt allowed, giving NIU a favorable matchup on intermediate throws.
- Macon has recorded 115+ passing yards in three of his last four appearances, with improved early-down command helping NIU stay out of long-yardage situations.
Northern Illinois RB Chavon Wright vs. WMU Projection: 57.5 Rushing Yards
- RB Chavon Wright has taken over the lead role in the Huskies’ backfield logging 23 carries over the last two games and averaging 4.5 yards per attempt in that span.
- Wright put together a monster 37-carry, 166-yard performance in the team’s 21-7 win over Ball State — he can carry a heavy workload if the game calls for it.
- Western Michigan’s defense has allowed 90+ rushing yards to three different players over the last three games, including 90, 97, and 105-yard performances.
- NIU averages 39.1 rushing attempts per game (T-29th in FBS), showing that Wright can rack up volume regardless of game script.
Make Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois Picks on PrizePicks
Tuesday night MACtion delivers a matchup defined by contrasting identities in Western Michigan vs. Norhtern Illinois.
Western Michigan brings the game’s most explosive playmaker in Jalen Buckley. Northern Illinois brings the steadier defense and the more controlled offensive approach, which could be advantageous in what looks like a grind-it-out game.
With PrizePicks, you can cash in on Tuesday night’s MACtion by targeting players like Broc Lowry, Jalen Macon, Chavon Wright, and more CFB picks.
Just pick your college football players, predict More or Less on their stat projections, and win real money if you’re right.
