The Northwestern Wildcats take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, Neb. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on FS1.
Nebraska is favored by 7.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -300. Northwestern, meanwhile, enters as a +7.5 underdog and is +240 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 44.5 points.
Here’s my Northwestern vs. Nebraska prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 25.
Northwestern Wildcats vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Prediction, Picks
- Northwestern vs. Nebraska Pick: Nebraska -7.5
My Nebraska vs. Northwestern best bet is on the Cornhuskers to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Northwestern vs Nebraska Odds, Line
| Northwestern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -115 | 44.5 -110o / -110u | +235 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -105 | 44.5 -110o / -110u | -305 |
- Northwestern vs Nebraska Spread: Nebraska -7.5, Northwestern +7.5
- Northwestern vs Nebraska Over/Under: 44.5
- Northwestern vs Nebraska Moneyline: Northwestern ML +235, Nebraska ML -305
Northwestern vs Nebraska NCAAF Preview
Northwestern Wildcats
It’s a small list of teams that are rolling more than Northwestern. In a jam-packed Big Ten, the Wildcats are currently tied for fourth in the conference at 3-1.
And they were also the team that put James Franklin on the unemployment line.
Preston Stone, albeit a turnover machine, is the luckiest man in college football right now. For the most part, it seems like the defense is saving his bacon, allowing an 11th-best 16.5 points per game.
Linebacker Mac Uihlein is one of the more under-the-radar players on defense, as he currently leads the Wildcats with five tackles for loss and three interceptions.
Along with that, defensive back Robert Fitzgerald has been a tackling machine, while Fred Davis II is a monster in coverage.
For the Wildcats, expect to see a whole lot more runs than passes. Caleb Komolafe has led the charge, rushing for 4.5 yards per carry and five touchdowns. But don’t count out Joseph Himon II, who may not have the scoring output, but can certainly run for distance.
If Northwestern wants to win, it needs to establish the run as early as possible. I just don’t have a ton of faith in Stone.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
A week after constantly pumping the program’s tires so he doesn’t have to answer any Penn State questions, Matt Rhule’s Cornhuskers really dropped the ball in a 24-6 loss to Minnesota.
Not exactly what the program needs.
They were ranked for the first time all season, and yet couldn’t even manage a touchdown against a program they needed to beat.
Pat Mahom… err… Dylan Raiola does look really good for a second straight season, though you wonder if last week was a sign of a drop-off or not.
He has done a solid job at limiting turnovers, and his completion rate has been quite efficient at 73%, finding real chemistry with the three-headed wide receiver monster of Nyziah Hunter, Jacory Barney Jr. and Dane Key.
Currently, Nebraska ranks in the top 20 in both passing down Success Rate and Passing Success Rate.
On the ground, Emmett Johnson has been a total stud, averaging six yards per carry and a Big Ten-leading 713 rushing yards.
Northwestern vs Nebraska Pick, Best Bet
Northwestern has had a lot go its way, and I have to think that the luck is going to run out sooner or later.
Sure, the Wildcats toppled Penn State, but the Nittany Lions were already vulnerable. On paper, it looks great, but in the grand scheme, it's nothing that truly impresses me.
Other than that, their wins came over UCLA, UL Monroe and Purdue, which is nothing earth-shattering.
I'm not saying Nebraska is the standard here — I just have a whole lot more faith in the Cornhuskers than I do in a Wildcats team that I think is due for a stinker against a fairly high-powered offense.
Pick: Nebraska -7.5
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