Nebraska vs. Northwestern odds, prediction, betting trends for Week 0 matchup in Dublin
Nebraska and Northwestern will kick off the Big Ten season on Saturday at Avila Stadium in Dublin, Ireland with a matchup between two teams that struggled in 2021.
Game time is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET. The matchup will be televised on Fox.
Nebraska finished 3-9 last season and the pressure is on fifth-year coach Scott Frost after four straight losing seasons. The Huskers hired offensive coordinator from Pitt Mark Whipple this offseason, and Texas transfer quarterback Casey Thompson will lead the offense. Nebraska ranked 36th in goal defense in the FBS last season, and Garrett Nelson makes the difference.
MORE: Frost enters hot seat season | Selection of the week 0 | Big Ten gets record TV deal
Northwestern also finished 2021 3-9 under coach Pat Fitzgerald. It’s an even year, which gives the Wildcats hope knowing they won the Big Ten West in 2018 and 2020. Ryan Hilinski is back at quarterback for the Wildcats and is protected by Sporting News Preseason All-American tackle Peter Skoronski. The defense got several accesses via the transfer portal.
This should be a fun start to the Big Ten season. Here’s everything you need to know about betting on the Week 0 opener between the Huskers and the Wildcats
Nebraska vs Northwestern Odds
Caesars
- Spread: Nebraska-13
- About Below: 50.5
- money line: Nebraska -556, Northwest +400
sports interactive
- Spread: Nebraska-13
- About Below: 50.5
Nebraska routed Northwest 56-7 last year; a result that undoubtedly influences this line. That line could rise a point closer to kickoff, and that would add some value to the Wildcats with a two-TD spread in a neutral setting.
Three trends to get to know
– The Huskers are 13-11 S/U but only 9-15 ATS as favorites under Frost the last four seasons. This is their first game on a neutral field with Frost.
– The Wildcats have been 9-19 S/U as underdogs since 2018, but they are 14-12-2 ATS in these games.
– Nebraska lost nine games by nine points or fewer last season. The Wildcats had seven losses of 17 points or more.
Three things to see
— “Air envelopes?” Whipple was hired by Pitt, where he had worked with Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett the previous season. The Panthers still had a 53-47 pass:run ratio last season, but the Huskers could fire with Thompson and a group of receivers that could be led by LSU transfer receiver Trey Palmer, who was impressive at fall camp. New receiver coach Mickey Joseph was part of the LSU staff during the 2019 national championship run. This would be an intriguing development as Nebraska becomes a pass-heavy offense.
MORE: Take the Sporting News Transfer QB Quiz!
— Did the Wildcats fix their run defense? The Wildcats were terrible against the run in 2021. Northwestern allowed a Big Ten-worst 213.9 yards per game on the floor last year, so uncharacteristic for a Fitzgerald-led unit. The Huskers rushed for 427 yards in last year’s blowout win. Rahmir Johnson is the top returning rusher for the Huskers, but he’s part of a backfield committee. The Wildcats addressed their defensive line via the portal, and Henrik Barndt (Indiana State), Ryan Johnson (Stanford) and Taishan Holmes (UMass) are in the mix for the season up front. Senior defense end Adetomiwa Adebawore led the Wildcats with 4.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
— What will the Wildcats do on offense? Hilinski has been fighting with transfer quarterback Brendan Sullivan all spring. Northwestern needs to build a better pass attack. The Wildcats quarterbacks combined for 13 TDs and 14 interceptions last season. The rushing attack is decent at Cam Porter, who missed last season after leading the team by 333 yards in the 2020 season shortened by COVID-19. Evan Hull rushed for 1,009 yards and seven TDs in his place last season.
Statistics that count
It’s easy to see why the line keeps moving toward the Huskers. The Wildcats have ranked 93rd or lower on offense for the past four seasons. Northwestern averaged 20.8 points on this track. This works when the defense can scrape out narrow victories. The offense needs to improve significantly under third-year coordinator Mike Bajacian.
Nebraska vs. Northwestern Prediction
There’s no doubt last year’s blowout was eye-opening, but that was at Lincoln and both teams are overseas. Nebraska has a mostly new offensive staff, and Thompson has to settle for an improved defense. The Wildcats need to be a little more than Porter and Hull’s 1-2 punch. Revenue margin is important, and the Huskers (-5) and Wildcats (-6) were poor in that division last season as well. That series has been tight since the Huskers joined the Big Ten, with Nebraska holding a 6-5 advantage since 2014. Most of those games have been competitive, and this one is going to be closer than expected for the most part.
end result: Nebraska 31, Northwest 21