Wisconsin vs Nebraska Odds, Picks and Predictions: Offenses Make the Most of Their Chances

The No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers look to maintain their slim lead atop the Big Ten as they head to Lincoln to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Thursday. The Badgers have gone 8-1 in conference play and while the Huskers are a modest 5-5 in the Big Ten, they have an impressive overall record of 15-6.

This is expected to be a close game with the college basketball odds having this line at nearly a pick'em while the O/U sits at 144.5. Here are my best free college basketball picks and predictions for Wisconsin vs. Nebraska on Thursday, February 1.

Wisconsin vs Nebraska best odds

Wisconsin vs Nebraska picks and predictions

The Wisconsin Badgers play at one of the slowest tempos in the country but this total still looks too low here. Although the Badgers sit just 345th in the country in average time of possession on offense (19.4 seconds), they don't slow down opponents on the other end of the floor and the Nebraska Cornhuskers play at a speedy 16.1 seconds per offensive possession. 

While they take their time with the ball, the Badgers make those possessions count, ranking fourth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency. They are averaging 77.7 points per game in conference play while leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage (50%) and ranking third in 3-point percentage (41.1%). That said, Greg Gard's squad has been worse on the other end of the floor, ranking 42nd in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

The Cornhuskers have also been significantly better on offense than defense. They are 30th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency while ranking just 106th on defense. 

The Huskers are coming off a 73-51 loss at Maryland where they went just 7 of 22 from inside the arc and turned the ball over 17 times. However, they were on the road and facing a Top-10 Terrapins defense in that contest.

They had scored 81.8 ppg in their previous nine games with the Over cashing in each contest — a span which includes a January 6 showdown between these teams where they combined for 160 points.

Both teams were red-hot from beyond the arc in that previous meeting and while you might expect regression, keep in mind that they are both shooting better than 40% from deep in conference play while sitting near the bottom of the Big Ten in opponent 3-point percentage. Expect these efficient offenses to have success tonight and take the Over. 

My best bet: Over 144.5 (-110 at bet365)

Wisconsin vs Nebraska same-game parlay

Over 144.5

Wisconsin moneyline

Chucky Hepburn Under 6.5 points

+750 at bet365

There is certainly a risk that this is a lookahead spot for the Badgers since they are on the road and facing a dangerous Huskers team while a date with Purdue looms large for the weekend. That said, I do think they're better on both ends of the floor than Nebraska and KenPom is projecting a three-point victory for the visitors. 

Senior guard Chucky Hepburn leads Wisconsin with 3.8 assists per game but he averages just 7.5 ppg. He has scored six or fewer points in five straight games, although the Badgers still managed to eclipse their team total and win in four of those contests. 

Betting the Under on his points along with the Over on the full game total and the moneyline on his team creates a nice multiplier for this SGP.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Wisconsin vs Nebraska spread and Over/Under analysis

This spread opened with the Cornhuskers installed as slim 1-point home favorites and while some books still have that line, others now have the Badgers at -1 as of 10 a.m. ET. The total hasn't seen any movement after opening at 144.5. 

The Badgers are coming off a 81-66 win at home against Michigan State sweeping the season series against the Spartans since they also beat them by double digits on the road in December. They are 9-1 SU and 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games and rank 11th in the KenPom ratings. 

The Huskers are fresh off an ugly 73-51 road loss to Maryland. That said, they return to Lincoln for this contest and they've gone a sizzling 13-1 SU and 10-4 ATS with an average scoring margin of +13.1 ppg at home.

The Huskers are 53rd in the KenPom ratings but will need to string together more wins in conference play if they want to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.

When these teams previously met up on January 6, the Badgers won 88-72 to easily cover as 5.5-point home favorites.

Wisconsin vs Nebraska betting trend to know

The Huskers are 9-1 to the Over in their last 10 games while the Badgers are 8-3 O/U in their previous 11 contests. Find more college basketball betting trends for Wisconsin vs. Nebraska.

Wisconsin vs Nebraska game info

Wisconsin vs Nebraska key injuries

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