luckadjusted
CFB Week 4 · 2026

College football · Week 6 2026 · Saturday, October 10

Air Force vs Northern Illinois prediction and pick

Our Air Force Falcons at Northern Illinois Huskies pick: Air Force by 8.0, 69% to win. The forecast rates every team against the opponents it has played, this season and last, and adds home field. No betting information goes in.

An early look, 2 weeks ahead: it sharpens as the game comes up. Updated every day until kickoff, then frozen and scored. After the game this page shows who deserved to win.

Why the curves are so wide: luck. Even with both teams’ strength known exactly, one game’s bounces, kicks, calls and sequencing move the final margin by about ±12.1 points (one standard deviation, measured from every play since 2019). These forecasts carry ±16.2, so about 55% of the width is that luck; the rest is what nobody knows yet about the teams. That is why a 7-point favorite still loses about 3 times in 10.

Air Force at Northern Illinois

Sat, Oct 10, 7:30 pm ET · Huskie Stadium

Air Force by 8.0 · 69% to win

Show as a table
OutcomeChance
Air Force win69.0%
Northern Illinois win31.0%
Middle 50%: Air Force by 19 to Northern Illinois by 350%
Middle 90%: Air Force by 35 to Northern Illinois by 1990%
Middle 95%: Air Force by 40 to Northern Illinois by 2495%
Exactly Air Force by 36.6%
Exactly Air Force by 75.5%
Exactly Northern Illinois by 35.5%
Exactly Air Force by 144.1%
Exactly Northern Illinois by 73.6%
P50
Half of games like this end between Air Force by 19 and Northern Illinois by 3.
P90
9 in 10 between Air Force by 35 and Northern Illinois by 19.
P95
19 in 20 between Air Force by 40 and Northern Illinois by 24.
Where the forecast comes from
This season, against its opponentsAir Force+7.7
Last seasonAir Force+3.4
Home fieldNorthern Illinois+3.1

The season so far

TeamRecordCoin-flip winsLuck in wins
Air Force 2–1 2.0 −0.3
Northern Illinois 0–4 0.7 −1.2

Coin-flip wins: the wins each team’s games were worth with only the kicks, bounces, drops and calls re-rolled, the record adjusted for luck. Luck in wins: actual wins minus what the play was worth.

Air Force vs Northern Illinois: questions and answers

Who will win Air Force vs Northern Illinois?

Our forecast picks Air Force, with 69% to win; Northern Illinois win 31% of the time.

What’s the spread for Air Force vs Northern Illinois?

Our spread: Air Force −8.0. The betting line isn’t out yet. Ours uses no betting information, so where the two differ is where our read of the teams differs from the market’s.

When is Air Force vs Northern Illinois?

Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 7:30 pm ET, at Huskie Stadium.