The Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-4) tangle with the Purdue Boilermakers (2-3) Saturday at noon ET in a Big Ten game at Ross-Ade Stadium. Below, we analyze the Nebraska-Purdue college football betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Nebraska at Purdue: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:45 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Nebraska -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Purdue -115 (bet $115 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Nebraska +1 (-110) | Purdue -1 (-110)
- Over/Under: 62.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Nebraska at Purdue: Three things to know
- Nebraska kept it close in a 26-20 loss to Iowa as a 12-point road underdog and even out-gained the Hawkeyes by 16 total yards. The main factor was a Nebraska muffed punt in the fourth quarter, which led to an Iowa field goal extending its lead to the final margin.
- Purdue lost 37-30 to Rutgers as a 12-point favorite for its third straight loss last week. These teams played to nearly a draw in the stats but Rutgers got a crucial 100-yard kick return touchdown from WR Aron Cruickshank in the third quarter following a Purdue touchdown that put them up 30-20.
- Nebraska has lost both games (straight up and ATS) against Purdue since head coach Scott Frost took over the program in 2018.
Special Big Ten Betting Promotion!
Bet $1 on ANY Big Ten team’s money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if ANY BIG TEN team scores a touchdown this week!
Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, NJ, TN and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks. New customer offer, terms and conditions apply. Bet now at BetMGM!
Nebraska at Purdue: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Purdue 29, Nebraska 24
Money line (ML)
This feels like the sucker spot of the week but GIMME PURDUE (-115) for 2 units.
I am confused as to what BetMGM sees in this Nebraska team. Purdue has been on the losing side of three consecutive one-score games and if the Boilermakers win one or two of those coin flip games what is this line? Nebraska’s lone win came against the worst Penn State football team in program history.
The Boilermakers have a plus net points per play and yards per play while Nebraska has a negative net in both metrics. Purdue is better in high leverage situations—3rd down conversion and red-zone scoring percentages.
Finally, this is a Pros vs. Joes spot with 74% of the money wagered on Purdue and 62% of the bets placed on Nebraska, according to Pregame.com.
Against the spread (ATS)
PASS. I’ll pay an extra 5 cents on the dollar to get Purdue straight up.
Over/Under (O/U)
Nebraska does not have a good offense but it is 28th in first down rate and 27th in busted drive rate on offense, according to Football Outsiders. The Cornhuskers shoot themselves in the foot by being minus-6 in turnover differential and averaging 6.6 penalties per game (85th in the nation).
Instead of siding with one faction of the market like we did in the ATS section, let’s fade the market and TAKE UNDER 62.5 (-110) for a half unit. The total has been steamed up from the 58-point opener because 90% of the money and 70% of the bets are on the Over.
It’s more of a lean than a like, though, because it’s not like a bunch of squares are running out to bet the Over in Nebraska-Purdue.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Geoff Clark on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]