Indiana vs. Northwestern score prediction for college football Week 6: Expert odds and picks for matchup

Indiana vs. Northwestern is an interesting Week 6 matchup between two teams having very different seasons. The Northwestern Wildcats (2-2) will host the No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers (5-0) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Indiana has had a stellar start to the season, and as a result, it has earned a ranking within the AP Top 25 poll. It defeated Maryland 42-28 last Saturday. Conversely, Northwestern has had an underwhelming start to the season. The Wildcats lost to Washington 24-5 two weeks ago before they had an open week this past week.

Indiana vs. Northwestern score prediction Week 6

The Hoosiers are big favorites in this matchup. They have won all five games this season, and it looks like they will continue with a sixth win over Northwestern. Indiana started the season with a 31-7 win over FIU and has only built on that performance with a 77-3 win over Western Illinois, a 42-13 win over UCLA, a 52-14 win over Charlotte and a 42-28 win over Maryland.

Indiana has performed exceptionally well on both sides of the ball, but the Hoosiers stand out more on offense. Since their 31-point output in Week 1, the Hoosiers have not had a game with fewer than 42 points. On defense, the team has performed well but showed it could be beaten when it allowed 28 points last week against Maryland.

Northwestern has struggled offensively this season, only scoring over 30 points once against Eastern Illinois. Even in the win over Miami OH, the Wildcats only had 13 points. In its first four games, Indiana has scored 13, 20, 31 and 5 points, respectively.

However, the bright spot for Northwestern is its defense. Even in its losses, Northwestern has not allowed a team to score more than 26 points, and that game against Duke went into overtime. The Wildcats have allowed 6, 26, 7 and 24 points, respectively.

Unfortunately for fans who want a close game, it is unlikely in this matchup. Indiana is the far better team on offense, and they are close enough defensively that it should not be an issue for the Hoosiers. We predict Indiana to defeat Northwestern 31-14. The point spread is set at 13.5 points and Indiana should easily cover it.

Indiana vs. Northwestern betting tips

Tip #1: Avoid the moneyline. Indiana is being given -587 odds on average, which is not much of a payout, even in a very likely win.

Tip #2: Wager on Indiana to cover the 13.5-point spread.

Tip #3: Bet over on the total of 41.5 points. Indiana has beat that total by itself in four of its five games.

What time is the Indiana vs. Northwestern game on?

The Indiana vs. Northwestern game will start at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on BTN and streamed on FuboTV, ESPN+, Peacock, Hulu and SlingTV.