Subscribe
Follow Us
Friday night in the NCAA will feature this Big Ten matchup! It's time to continue our college basketball odds series with a Nebraska-Purdue prediction and pick.
Nebraska has never been known for its basketball program. They continue to be sub-par and just barely getting by in Division I standards. It's been another bad start to the season once again, as they are just 6-11 on the season. It's been so bad, that their best win of the season was an 82-59 win over Southern University. They have lost their last four games and will now be facing their toughest opponent of the season.
Purdue is not where they want to be right now. They are the No. 7 team in the nation but are coming off a bad loss to Wisconsin two games ago. They bounced back with a win over Penn State but fell back from three to seven. Purdue is a well-balanced team with more than a few elite scorers. They are led by sophomore guard Jaden Ivey who averages 16.2 points per game shooting 50% from the field.
Here are the Nebraska-Purdue college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Nebraska-Purdue Odds
Nebraska: +20 (-106)
Purdue: -20 (-114)
Over: 155 (-114)
Article Continues Below
Under: 155 (-106)
*Watch College Basketball Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why Nebraska Could Cover This Spread
Let's be real here, Nebraska would need a miracle to win this game. But, the spread is so high that they could very well cover this spread. Nebraska is 8-9 against the spread this season which is a bit better than their overall record. They also haven't had a very tough schedule at all and lost games they probably could have won. The good news for bettors thinking about going with Nebraska here, Purdue is just 7-8 against the spread. In two fewer games, Purdue managed to cover at the same rate as Purdue. It's going to take a very well-played game from Nebraska to remain close, but I think they are capable of doing so if their defense shows up. Purdue averages over 10 more points, so it's going to be very difficult to try and keep up. They need to stop them on the defensive side.
Why Purdue Could Cover This Spread
We all know Purdue is likely going to win this game. But are they capable of winning by more than 20? They have a losing record against the spread, so it's not a guarantee. They have multiple guys who can score with ease so it's going to be that kind of effort to cover this spread. I think Purdue is aware of how bad Nebraska is, but they don't have very many wins by at least 20 points recently. They beat Butler and Incarnate Word by 20 in back-to-back games just a few weeks ago, but it's been since the beginning of the season where they really gave it to teams. It's going to take one of those games where they keep their foot on the gas the entire time.
Final Nebraska-Purdue Prediction & Pick
Heck, why not. I'm going with Nebraska to cover this spread tonight. Purdue will certainly win this game, but I think the Cornhuskers are going to stay in the game longer than Purdue wants them to and not lose by 20 points.
Final Nebraska-Purdue Prediction & Pick: Nebraska +20 (-106)
