Nebraska vs Northwestern Betting Preview Feb 5
Nebraska vs Northwestern Predictions and Odds
Nebraska vs Northwestern kicks off Saturday’s Big Ten basketball slate. At the time of posting, Northwestern has opened as a 3-point road favorite at Nebraska, with the total sitting at 146.5 points.
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| Saturday, February 5 | Big Ten Basketball Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Northwestern Wildcats -3 at Nebraska Cornhuskers |
| Total: | 146.5 Points |
| Game Time: | 1:00pm ET / 10:00am PT |
| Arena: | Pinnacle Bank Arena |
| TV: | Big Ten Network |
Nebraska vs Northwestern Analysis
On Saturday, the Northwestern Wildcats (10-10, 3-8 Big Ten) are in Lincoln, Nebraska, for an early afternoon matinee matchup versus the Cornhuskers (6-16, 0-11 Big Ten). The visiting Wildcats check-in as road chalk in this early Saturday tilt despite having just two wins in their last ten events.
NU guard Boo Buie scored six of his 18 game points in Northwestern’s 79-78 overtime victory against Rutgers. The Cornhuskers won the first half of Tuesday’s matchup against the Michigan Wolverines. The Big Blue trailed by seven points at the break but took control of the Huskers as the teams neared the halfway mark of the second half and held on for an 85-79 victory.
This season, the Wildcats are 3-8 against Big Ten opponents, with Pete Nance leading the Wildcats in shooting accuracy connecting on 43.3% from the 3-point range. Nebraska is 1-9 across their last ten games. The Huskers average a team 71.1 points per game. Nebraska has been inefficient and scattered defensively. The Lincoln troupe is giving up a crazy number of points surrendering 80.5 points per game.
“We all trust each other to knock down shots, to find the open guy,” Buie told the media at the post-game presser. “My teammates hit a lot of shots late, along with Chase, who hit a couple of shots. They know their role, and they know what they were supposed to do,” Buie added.
“There’s not one person in this program that doesn’t have frustration,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg answered during a media session on Wednesday. “One thing I’ll tell you, these guys are continuing to go out there and battle. They’re practicing hard, which I know doesn’t mean anything, but they’re not laying down,” according to Hoiberg.
The Cornhuskers and Wildcats match up Saturday for the first time in conference play this season. In their last six home games, Nebraska is a perfect 6-0 ATS. The Northwestern squad has registered a 15-6-1 ATS mark in their previous 22 games as a road favorite.
Northwestern has cashed the Game Under at a 6-2 clip in Wildcats last eight games as a road favorite. Hoieberg’s Huskies have cashed the Game Over in the team’s previous seven gifts and head into today’s matchup against the Illini.
As Nance Goes, So Go the Wildcats
Northwestern will go for consecutive victories for the first time since mid-December in today’s matchup against Nebraska.
Senior forward Pete Nance leads the visiting Cats in scoring with 15.9 points per game average.
The Wildcats, who brought back four starters and ten letterwinners from a season ago, feature three players that average double-digits in scoring per game. Nance and his 15.9 ppg are also the team leader in rebounding (6.9 RPG) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg). Nance is shooting over 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point range.
Northwestern’s victory over Rutger earlier this week has leveled the team’s record to 10-10 on the season. The Wildcats have won seven out of their last nine games against Nebraska.
Hoiberg’s Huskers Poised for an Upset
The Cornhuskers have lost nine games in a row and are searching for their first win since Dec. 22 against Kennesaw State and just their second since November.
Nebraska’s last four losses each have come by single digits. Most recently, in Tuesday’s 85-79 defeat at Michigan, Bryce McGowens led the Cornhuskers with 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting.
Bryce McGowens is averaging 17.1 ppg in conference play entering Saturday’s game. The last conference freshman to average at least 17.0 ppg in conference play was D’Angelo Russell of Ohio State in 2014-15 (20.3 ppg).
C.J. Wilcher is averaging 1.0 made 3-pointers over the last ten games for Nebraska.
Hoiberg’s team was projected to contend for an NCAA Tournament berth this season. Instead, the Huskers have been out-matched in the rugged Big Ten. They’ve also struggled in late-game situations. Under Hoiberg, the Huskers own a 20-61 record.
Nebraska vs Northwestern Game Forecast
Considered NU’s best defender, McGowens usually is assigned to the opponent’s top perimeter scorer. Against No. 11 Wisconsin, he limited Johnny Davis to a season-low 13 points, including none in the first half, and followed Ron Harper Jr. to 1-of-9 shooting on Jan. 29. The underdog in this series is 4-1 ATS across the last five meetings.
The WagerTalk pick to click is a play on the home underdogs, Cornhuskers, plus the points.
Interested in placing a bet on Saturday’s Nebraska vs Northwestern clash in the Big Ten? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
College Basketball Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his College Basketball Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Saturday’s sheet, with notes on this Nebraska vs Northwestern contest.
Under the Radar | College Basketball Betting Tips
Which teams are being under-valued as we head into February? WagerTalk college basketball handicapper Drew Martin offers his thoughts on a handful of squads that might be laying under the betting radar.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the college basketball point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Saturday’s NCAAB games, including this Nebraska vs Northwestern showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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