Cincinnati and Nebraska square off on Thursday evening at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN as part of college football's early Week 1 action.
To celebrate this Week 1 Power 4 clash, I came through with a same-game parlay that targets the Cornhuskers on the spread and their running back.
To dig deeper into this marquee matchup, let's take a look at my Cincinnati vs. Nebraska picks and college football parlay for Thursday, August 28 below.
Cincinnati vs Nebraska Picks, Parlay
- Nebraska -6.5
- Emmett Johnson 60+ Rush Yards
Parlay Payout: +203 (via DraftKings)
Cincinnati vs Nebraska Odds, Line, Spread
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -105 | 53.5 -112o / -110u | +220 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -115 | 53.5 -112o / -110u | -275 |
Spread Pick: Cornhuskers -6.5
I love this spot to open the season for the Cornhuskers.
Head coach Matt Rhule has shown his ability to elevate programs in his third year. Rhule won 10 games at Temple in Year 3 and 11 at Baylor in Year 3.
Nebraska showed signs of improvement last season, going 7-6, and it brings back multiple key pieces.
Quarterback Dylan Raiola enters this season with extremely high expectations.
I expect Raiola to be sharp against this below-average Bearcats defense, and he'll help Nebraska roll to a comfortable victory on Thursday.
Pick: Nebraska -6.5
Nebraska Player Prop: Emmett Johnson 60+ Rush Yards
Nebraska wants to be a run-first team in 2025. The Cornhuskers' offensive line will have the advantage against the Cincinnati front in this matchup.
Emmett Johnson became the team's top option in the run game as the 2024 season progressed and will see high volume in this matchup.
The game script will bode well for this prop, as I anticipate Nebraska playing with the lead for most of the game.
Pick: Emmett Johnson 60+ Rush Yards
Cincinnati vs Nebraska Same-Game Parlay Picks
- Nebraska -6.5
- Emmett Johnson 60+ Rushing Yards
Parlay Payout: +203 (via DraftKings)
