The No. 18 Auburn Tigers look to continue their recent domination when they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday as part of Holiday Hoopsgiving 2021, a one-day event in Atlanta which features four Division 1 matchups. The Tigers (7-1) have been on a tear in their last three games, averaging 86.6 points per game, while holding their opponents to 66.6 points -- a plus 20 scoring margin. The Huskers (5-5), meanwhile, have struggled of late. After putting together a four-game winning streak to close out November, Nebraska is 0-3 in December. Wes Flanigan will serve as Auburn's interim head coach as Bruce Pearl serves the first game of his two-game suspension handed down from the NCAA related to rule violations during the 2017 season.
The game from State Farm Arena is scheduled to tip off at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Tigers are 14-point favorites in the latest Auburn vs. Nebraska odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 149.5. Before making any Nebraska vs. Auburn picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nebraska vs. Auburn and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Nebraska vs. Auburn:
- Auburn vs. Nebraska spread: Auburn -14
- Auburn vs. Nebraska over-under: 149.5 points
- Auburn vs. Nebraska money line: Auburn -1100, Nebraska +700
- NEB: The Cornhuskers are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games after allowing more than 90 points in their previous game
- AUB: The Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall
Why Auburn can cover
Sophomore guard Wendell Green Jr. is already making his mark this season, and has posted four double-digit scoring games, including a 19-point effort in the season opener on Nov. 9 against Morehead State in a 77-54 victory. Last season at Eastern Kentucky, Green averaged 15.8 points, five assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game and was named to the All-Atlantic Sun Conference first team. He was also named to the ASUN All-Newcomer team. He has been Auburn's top playmaker over the last five games, dishing out 26 assists.
Sophomore forward Walker Kessler has posted 10 blocks in his last two games, scoring 17 points in a Dec. 1 win over Central Florida. Kessler is averaging 7.9 points, seven rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game. He is on the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Watch List and, at North Carolina last year, set an ACC Tournament freshman record with eight blocks against Notre Dame. He has scored in double figures three times this season.
Why Nebraska can cover
Senior Alonzo Verge Jr., a graduate transfer from Arizona State, is off to a big start to his Cornhuskers career, averaging 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He led Nebraska with 31 points, eight rebounds and three assists vs. Michigan, and nearly posted a triple-double at North Carolina State with 25 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. He had 18 points and 10 assists against Tennessee State, and recorded his first career double-double in his Cornhuskers debut against Western Illinois in a 75-74 loss on Nov. 9, finishing with 26 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
Freshman guard Bryce McGowens has made a big first impression. The five-star recruit leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring at 16.4 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.8. He is already a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, and had 24 points and nine rebounds at North Carolina State, his fourth 20-point game of 2021-22. He collected his first double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds against Southern on Nov. 21.
How to make Nebraska vs. Auburn picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total. In fact, it says Nebraska's Kobe Webster will better his season average by more than two points, while Auburn's Wendell Green will score nearly three points over his season average. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's Auburn vs. Nebraska pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nebraska vs. Auburn? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nebraska vs. Auburn spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
