Northwestern Wildcats vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 1/25/2023

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE

Where to watch: FS2

DraftKings: Northwestern -2

FanDuel: NL

BetMGM: NL

Caesars: Northwestern -2

Northwestern: 13-5 (4-3 Big Ten)

Nebraska: 10-10 (3-6 Big Ten)

Northwestern: won 66-63 vs. Wisconsin

Nebraska: lost 76-65 at Penn State

The Northwestern Wildcats will look to get back on the winning track when they visit the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

The Wildcats have come crashing back to Earth after a strong non-conference season. Northwestern, after losing two straight to Rutgers and Michigan, did bounce back at home with a 66-63 win over Wisconsin on Monday.

Northwestern is getting caught up after having two games moved due to COVID concerns.

Boo Buie, possibly the greatest name in all of college basketball, finished with 20 points, and Chase Audige had 16 points on 6 of 15 shooting to help lead the way for Northwestern to end that two-game losing streak. It was also Northwestern’s first cover in two games as well.

The Wildcats had a pretty good start to Big Ten play with wins ove Indiana and Illinois, and nearly beating Rutgers, but that loss to Michigan set them back a little bit. 

Nebraska, meanwhile, has been a mess most of this season. The Cornhuskers are coming off a 76-65 loss at Penn State which followed a 63-60 win over Ohio State. Make it make sense, I suppose. Derrick Walker led Nebraska with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Keisei Tomigaga had 13 points. Nebraska shot 45 percent from the floor, but was doomed by going 6 of 22 from 3-point range and went only 13 of 24 from the free-throw line.

This is the kind of game where the overwhelming favorite should be able to handle business. Northwestern is sitting fourth in the Big Ten right now, going against a Nebraska team that is second-to-last at 3-6. Northwestern still has to deal with Rutgers, Michigan and Michigan State — and, of course, Purdue — so their uphill climb is a little bit more steep.

Nebraska is coming into this one having lost three of four with all losses by double digits. I don’t trust that group as far as I can throw them. Northwestern, I’m not sure if their success is sustainable, but the Wildcats are going to get a good win out of this one. Northwestern 81, Nebraska 65

Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.

Over is 4-0 in Northwestern's last four games.

Under is 9-1-1 in Nebraska's last home games.

PG: Boo Buie

SG: Chase Audige

SF: Ty Berry

PF: Robbie Beran

C: Matt Nicholson

PG: Keisei Tominaga

SG: C.J. Wilcher

SF: Denim Dawson

PF: Sam Griesel

C: Derrick Walker

Injury report

Northwestern: Ty Berry (ankle, questionable), Julian Roper II (ankle, questionable), Luke Hunger (foot, out)

Nebraska: Blaise Keita (ankle, out), Emmanuel Bandoumel (knee, out), Juwan Gary (shoulder, out), Quaran McPherson (knee, out)

Points: Chase Audige -- 15.3

Rebounds: Matt Nicholson -- 6.5

Assists: Boo Buie -- 4.3

Points: Derick Walker -- 14.1

Rebounds: Derrick Walker -- 7.7

Assists: Sam Griesel -- 4.1