The Northwestern Wildcats take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, NE, on Saturday, Feb. 14. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Nebraska is favored by -13.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1300. Northwestern, meanwhile, enters as a +13.5 underdog and is +800 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 143.5 total points.
Here’s my Northwestern vs. Nebraska prediction and college basketball picks for Saturday, February 14.
Northwestern vs Nebraska Prediction
My Pick: Nebraska -13.5
My Northwestern vs Nebraska best bet is on the Cornhuskers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Northwestern vs Nebraska Odds
| Northwestern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -110 | 143.5 -110o / -110u | +800 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -110 | 143.5 -110o / -110u | -1300 |
- Northwestern vs Nebraska Spread: Nebraska -13.5
- Northwestern vs Nebraska Over/Under: 143.5 points
- Northwestern vs Nebraska Moneyline: Northwestern +800, Nebraska -1300
Northwestern vs Nebraska College Basketball Betting Preview
Northwestern Basketball
Northwestern comes into this game with a 10-15 overall record (2-12 Big Ten) after giving Michigan a scare.
The Wildcats led at halftime, 44-35, but were outscored, 52-31, in the second half.
After losing to Illinois by 40, the Wildcats have done a good job getting themselves off the mat and competing in back-to-back tough losses to Iowa (76-70) and Michigan (87-75).
Unfortunately for head coach Chris Collins, everyone is a wild card outside of Nick Martinelli.
Martinelli averages 22.5 points per game and is essentially guaranteed 20 points a night, but the other two players who average double figures — Arrinten Page (10.9 PPG) and Jayden Reid (10.6 PPG) — are inconsistent.
In Page's last nine games, he has scored in double-figures the same amount of times as he has scored zero points (twice).
Reid, meanwhile, has scored in double figures three times in his last 11 games.
Nebraska Basketball
Nebraska is coming off a tough overtime loss to Purdue and has now dropped three out of four, putting it at 21-3 overall (10-3 Big Ten).
The Cornhuskers have the 36th-most efficient offense in the country, according to KenPom. In conference play, they're shooting 38.2% from 3 (first), 56.8% from 2 (fourth) and boast an effective field-goal percentage of 57% (second).
However, during this 1-3 stretch, all of those numbers have dipped.
In its last four games, Nebraska's offensive efficiency ranks 61st, per Bart Torvik, while they're shooting 37.3% from 3 and 52.9% from 3 with an eFG% of 54.5%.
Braden Frager has had back-to-back quiet games, largely due to playing through a sprained ankle. He shot 5-of-19 from the field and 1-of-9 from 3 against Purdue and Rutgers.
If time does, in fact, heal all wounds, then Frager is poised for a big bounce-back game against a Northwestern team he scored 20 points on while shooting 8-of-14 from the field.
Senior Jamarques Lawrence has been a bright spot for a Cornhusker team skidding on offense recently.
In the first matchup against Northwestern, he scored eight points but has been on a tear since, averaging 13.8 PPG over the six-game stretch while scoring in double figures every game.
Northwestern vs Nebraska Pick, Betting Analysis
These two teams faced off once already this season, with Nebraska winning, 77-58, at Northwestern.
Pryce Sandfort hit as many 3s as Northwestern did as a team (5), while Frager scored 20 points and was 6-of-7 on 2-pointers.
Though Nebraska played Michigan tough, Northwestern is one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten. I expect there will be some emotional carryover as the Wildcats face the Huskers on the road.
For Nebraska, this is the perfect time to bounce back after dropping three out of its last four.
The Cornhuskers will find their rhythm and bounce back in a big way on Saturday.
My Pick: Nebraska -13.5
