BYU opens as 7-point favorite over Northern Illinois

Who’s ready for some BYU football?

BYU’s bye week is over and the Cougars are now in full preparation mode for a solid Northern Illinois team. Vegas released its week 9 odds and BYU opened as a 7-point favorite over NIU.

The Huskies (4-3) are coming off a bye week of their own and have played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Their non-conference slate has included Iowa, Utah and Florida State. They gave Utah all they could handle on their home field before falling late in a 17-6 defeat.

NIU currently sits at 4-0 in the MAC and have one of the best defensive ends in the country in Sutton Smith. Smith anchors a stout Huskies defense that is the backbone of the team.

While the defense is stout, NIU has one of the most anemic offenses in the country. They average 18.9 points per game, and starting QB Marcus Childers has yet to top 1,000 yards for the season in seven games.

BYU-NIU kickoff at 1:30 MDT at Lavell Edwards Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPNU.