N Illinois vs. San Jose St Recap: Under and NIU Team Total Cash

San Jose State beat Northern Illinois 30-19, scoring the first 13 points and the last two touchdowns of the third quarter. Viliami Teu ran in from 5 yards and 1 yard, Trajan Sinatra kicked three field goals, and Daniel Rolovich found Dominique McKenzie for a 29-yard score that made it 30-13. Northern Illinois actually outgained the Spartans 400-316 and held the ball for 31:46, but turned it over twice while San Jose State had 0 turnovers. Two DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

ALT: Under 59.5 total points (-250 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: San Jose State games stayed under 59.5 in 9 of the last 10 and Northern Illinois games in 7 of 10. The main total was 52.5, with a combined last-10 average of 49.3. - What happened: The teams combined for 49, 10.5 under the line. With 3:55 left the score was 30-19, and nobody scored again. - Worth watching: San Jose State settled for three field goals, Northern Illinois missed a kick and a two-point try, and the final landed almost exactly on that 49.3 average. When two teams with this profile meet, the alt under is worth a look again.

ALT: Northern Illinois over 13.5 points (-390 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: The main implied about 20 for Northern Illinois. San Jose State had allowed 14+ in 9 of its last 10, and the Huskies hit 14+ in 8 of 10. - What happened: This one sweated. A missed extra point on Telly Johnson Jr.'s 4-yard touchdown run left the Huskies stuck at 13 after Zaire McKinney's 19-yard catch tied it in the second quarter. They did not score again until Taron Dickens' 1-yard run with 3:55 left, which made it 19 and cleared the line by 5.5. - Worth watching: A missed kick nearly decided it. Low team-total alts are safest when the offense moves the ball, and Northern Illinois did, with 400 yards. Finishing drives is the part to watch.

How the game played out

The Huskies moved the ball well. Dickens completed 26 of 36 passes for 259 yards, DeAree Rogers caught 6 passes for 86 yards, and Elijah Porter ran for 79 on 12 carries. But two turnovers and a failed two-point try on the late touchdown kept them from closing the gap.

San Jose State did more with less. Rolovich threw for 231 yards and the one touchdown, and McKenzie turned 2 catches into 71 yards. The Spartans converted only 3 of 15 third downs, so Sinatra's kicks from 25, 46 and 22 yards did a lot of the work.

Trends to watch

• Northern Illinois' volume: 400 total yards and 26 completions keep its team total alive even on a night when drives stall.
• San Jose State's field-goal reliance: 3 made field goals plus 2 short Teu touchdown runs.
• The low scoring pace in San Jose State games, which matches the read behind the under.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. Learn how a total and an alt line work, or check the CFB hub.