The Indiana Hoosiers take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Indiana Nebraska prediction and pick. Find how to watch Indiana Nebraska.
Let's go right into the betting aspects of this game. This is one of the most fascinating betting situations you're going to find in January for men's college basketball. When you look at the odds and lines below, you might be shocked at what you see. Nebraska has been installed as a 5.5-point favorite over Indiana. In a men's basketball game. Yes. It's real. That's not an error.
Indiana has won five national championships in men's college hoops and was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament as recently as 2013. Nebraska is the only Power Five conference program (Big Ten, Pac-12, ACC, Big 12, SEC) which has never won an NCAA Tournament game. These two programs could not be more different in terms of tradition, achievement, history, stature, expectations, legacies, and reputations. Yet, Nebraska is favored by more than two 2-point baskets. That's an eye-opener. Let's immediately dive into why Nebraska is favored.
Indiana analysts will tell you that the Hoosiers struggle to shoot and defend the 3-point shot. Indiana is last in the 14-team Big Ten with 4.5 made 3-pointers per game. Nebraska is third in the Big Ten at 8.8 made 3-pointers per game. Indiana's defense has been far from consistent. Kennesaw State scored 87 on the Hoosiers. Auburn scored 104. Indiana can really struggle at the defensive end of the floor, and Nebraska's high-volume 3-point-shooting approach — 45 percent of the Huskers' field goal attempts are threes — can really bother Indiana.
Nebraska is also favored because the Huskers recently defeated Kansas State by 16 and Michigan State by seven. This is viewed by most college basketball experts as the best team coach Fred Hoiberg has assembled at Nebraska. Indiana does figure to have its hands full. Still: Should Nebraska ever be favored by more than five points against Indiana in men's basketball? Bettors are surely wondering about that question.
Here are the Indiana-Nebraska College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Indiana-Nebraska Odds
Indiana Hoosiers: +5.5 (-118)
Nebraska Cornhuskers: -5.5 (-104)
Over: 150.5 (-115)
Under: 150.5 (-105)
How To Watch Indiana vs Nebraska
Time: 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Indiana Could Cover the Spread
The Nebraska Cornhuskers are not a bad team. They have some talent and potential, and they could certainly pose some matchup problems for Indiana at the 3-point line. Indiana does struggle to win the battle of 3-point shooting. The Hoosiers usually get outgunned if a game turns into a 3-point-shooting contest. However, it's still Indiana versus Nebraska. These teams are evenly matched. It's hard to say Nebraska is clearly better when Indiana nearly upset the Kansas Jayhawks earlier this season and has already won on the road in Big Ten play at Michigan. Indiana isn't an elite team, but Nebraska is not several points better than the Hoosiers. Indiana can lose by five points and still cover? It almost seems like a trick question for bettors. Is this a trap?
Why Nebraska Could Cover the Spread
The disparity in 3-point shooting and 3-point makes per game (Nebraska with four more makes than Indiana, on average) will give Nebraska a very good chance of posting a plus-9 or plus-12 point advantage from the 3-point line. That would be more than enough to cover the 5.5-point spread. Nebraska is also at home here, and that should be worth a few points as well.
Final Indiana-Nebraska Prediction & Pick
When you see a weird betting line, stay away and look for a live play. If Nebraska gets off to a 10-2 lead and the live betting line swells to Nebraska -9.5 or 10.5, you could then take Indiana plus the points. In terms of a pregame bet, however, stay away.
Final Indiana-Nebraska Prediction & Pick: Indiana +5.5