Miami, FL
Northern Illinois vs. Miami (Ohio) Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 13
Northern Illinois wasn’t able to follow up on its upset of Notre Dame early in the season, falling behind in the MAC conference race, but has a chance to play spoiler in the league.
The Huskies will take on Miami (Ohio) in Tuesday night MACtion with the RedHawks looking to make a bid at a second straight league title. However, NIU has been elite on the defensive side of the ball all season and winners of two in a row. Can the Huskies snap Miami’s five-game winning streak and soil its hopes of a repeat?
Here’s how to bet the marquee matchup of the Week 13 opening slate.
Spread
Moneyline
Total: 41.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Northern Illinois
Telly Johnson Jr.: With Antario Brown out last week, Johnson was the leadback for the Huskies in the team’s win against Arkon. Brown is not on the depth chart this week, so it appears he won’t go, meaning Johnson will likely be called on to lead the run-first Huskies offense against Miami’s stingy defense.
Miami (Ohio)
Brett Gabbert: The senior quarterback continues to show out as MAC play continues, tallying 15 passing touchdowns with only one interception in league games. Since the loss to Toledo, the RedHawks have won all but one game by double digits and are starting to look like the MAC Champion from a year ago.
This game is likely going to be dictated by both team’s defense, among the best in the MAC.
Both units are top 40 nationally in EPA/Play, but there are some stylistic differences that make for an advantageous matchup for the road underdog.
NIU is focused on keeping the ball on the ground with its stable of running backs in addition to quarterback Ethan Hampton. While the RedHawks have an elite defense, it’s far better against the pass than the run, ranking outside the top half of the country in EPA/Rush this season. The defensive line isn’t getting a similar push to last season, outside the top 90 in defensive line yards, and may struggle to keep Northern Illinois out of favorable down and distances.
Meanwhile, Miami does lean on its passing game. Despite the emergence of running back Keyon Mozee, who is averaging nearly seven yards per carry, the RedHawks throw at a top-40 rate nationally.
However, the Huskies defense is elite against the pass, top 20 in the country in EPA/Pass, and among the best down-to-down defenses, ranking top 25 in success rate.
NIU has lost three MAC games by a total of 12 points, one of which in overtime and the other on a last season field goal, which stunted its ability to contend for a MAC title, but not from having betting value.
I’ll take the underdog to throw some chaos into the title race.
PICK: Northern Illinois ML +116
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33
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Miami, FL
Forward Brant Byers leaving Miami RedHawks for Penn State | Report
Travis Steele unpacks end of Miami RedHawks’ historic season
After a tough loss to Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, Miami RedHawks head coach Travis Steele took a minute to reflect on a historic season.
Forward Brant Byers, who ranked second behind Peter Suder in scoring for the Miami RedHawks last season with 14.2 points per game, has committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions, according to a report via Twitter/X from DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony.
Byers’ hometown of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is about two hours south of State College.
Byers reportedly entered the transfer portal in March.
Byers also averaged 4.1 rebounds per game, and shot 47.8 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from 3-point range as a redshirt sophomore for the RedHawks. He was named an all-Mid-American Conference second-team selection.
Byers started 33 of the 34 games in which he played for the 32-2 RedHawks in 2025-26. He averaged 8.4 points per game off the bench one season earlier, as a freshman. Byers redshirted during the 2023-24 season.
Former Cincinnati Bearcats forward Josh Reed and former Xavier Musketeers forward Sasa Ciani are on the Nittany Lions’ roster.
The RedHawks received a commitment April 14 from Ball State transfer forward Preston Copeland.
Miami, FL
Equestrian Event With Insane Prize Pool Draws Out Big Names in Miami
The Global Champions Arabians Tour (GCAT), the world’s premier Arabian horse championship series, hit Miami, Florida, where the celebrities were out in force.
The GCAT is an exclusive, high-stakes international championship show designed to showcase the beauty, form, and movement of Purebred Arabian horses.
Over this past weekend, the event transformed Miami Beach into a world-class equestrian stage, welcoming over 100 horses and handlers from across the globe to compete for crucial GCAT points and a share of the Americas circuit’s $2.7 million prize fund.
It also was quite the party featuring surprise sets by 50 Cent and Sean Paul, and a Closing Ceremony performance by Jason Derulo.
Other big names in the sports world showed up, including influencer and former Chicago Bulls Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa Pippen, former Miami Hurricanes star and New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champion Jonathan Vilma, and professional golfer Paris Hilinski.
Larsa certainly stood out in this red dress:
Meanwhile, Vilma was back in Miami where he played for some of the best ‘Canes teams from 2000-2003.
Also, the likes of DJ Khaled, Bethenny Frankel, Kiki Barth, Mario Carbone, the Mayor of Miami Steven Meiner, Daymond John, Romero Britto, Stephanie and Masoud Shojaee, Terrence J, Oliver Trevena, Miami Beach Commissioner Joe Magazine.
It was quite the weekend.
“Miami Beach has once again proven to be an extraordinary stage for the Global Champions Arabians Tour,” said Faleh Al Nasr, Chairman of the Global Champions Arabians Tour. “The energy, the international audience, and the level of competition we witnessed this weekend reflect exactly what GCAT stands for. To see this sport brought to life in such an iconic destination, alongside world-class hospitality and entertainment, is incredibly meaningful as we continue to grow our presence across the Americas.”
Miami, FL
Hawks sitting all usual starters against Miami
Kevin Chouinard: Hawks missing lots of players tonight. For tonight’s game at Miami: Mo Gueye (right shoulder inflammation) is questionable. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (right great toe sprain) is out. Dyson Daniels (left great toe sprain) is out. Jalen Johnson (rest) is out. Jonathan Kuminga (left knee injury management) is out. Jock Landale (right high ankle sprain) is out. CJ McCollum (rest) is out. Onyeka Okongwu (left index finger sprain) is out. Gabe Vincent (left knee inflammation) is out.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Hawks sitting all usual starters against Miami
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