The Nebraska Cornhuskers and Northwestern Wildcats take the stage as the first FBS vs. FBS matchup of the college football season on Saturday. The Big Ten opponents face off at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland as part of the 2022 Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The teams faced off in 2021, with Nebraska winning in lopsided fashion. Both teams finished with 3-9 record in 2021, and the August 27 matchup is the earliest date for a Big Ten game in conference history.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Cornhuskers as 11-point favorites on a neutral field in this 12:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 52 in the latest Nebraska vs. Northwestern odds. Before making any Northwestern vs. Nebraska picks or college football predictions, you need to see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also finished the 2021-22 college football season on a 43-31 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nebraska vs. Northwestern and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college football odds and betting lines for Northwestern vs. Nebraska:
- Nebraska vs. Northwestern spread: Nebraska -11
- Nebraska vs. Northwestern over/under: 52 points
- Nebraska vs. Northwestern money line: Nebraska -455, Northwestern +335
- NEB: The Cornhuskers outscored opponents by 63 points in 2021
- NW: The Wildcats return nine offensive starters
- Nebraska vs. Northwestern picks: See picks here.
Why Nebraska can cover
The transfer portal projects to help Nebraska considerably in 2022. On offense, the Cornhuskers added starting quarterback Casey Thompson, as well as potential impact wide receivers in Trey Palmer, Marcus Washington, and Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda. Thompson completed 63.2 percent of his passes last season at Texas, producing more than 2,100 passing yards and averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. He also threw 24 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions, and Thompson projects as an upgrade for Nebraska.
On defense, Nebraska adds former TCU defensive end Ochaun Mathis, who has 13 sacks at the college level across two seasons, and the Cornhuskers are facing a Northwestern team that struggled in 2021. The Wildcats were outscored by 149 points last season, and Northwestern lost its last six games. In 2021, Northwestern lost seven games by 17 points or more, and the Wildcats were unable to generate explosiveness on offense, scoring only 16.6 points per game for the season and 13.0 points per game in Big Ten action.
Why Northwestern can cover
Northwestern has revenge on its mind after a blowout loss in this matchup a season ago. The Wildcats should benefit from the shortcomings of Nebraska, including a brutal record in competitive games. The Cornhuskers became the first team in the Associated Press Poll era with nine single-digit losses in a single season in 2021.
The Cornhuskers had one of the worst special teams units in the country last season, and Nebraska produced only 13 takeaways on defense. The Cornhuskers were near the bottom of the Big Ten in sacks and overall havoc creation on defense, making life easier for Northwestern's sometimes conservative offense. The Wildcats also have a true X-factor in left tackle Peter Skoronski, who many project to be a first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
How to make Nebraska vs. Northwestern picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 42 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's Northwestern vs. Nebraska pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nebraska vs. Northwestern? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Nebraska vs. Northwestern spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
