Nebraska vs Minnesota Odds, Picks, and Predictions: Cornhuskers Start Rhule's Regime

Matt Rhule has his work cut out for him. The Nebraska Cornhuskers' new head coach has to rebuild a program that still considers itself a power as the entire college football landscape changes by the week.

Opening his tenure at the Minnesota Golden Gophers may actually provide a useful early barometer. Minnesota has not broken through under head coach P.J. Fleck, but it has remained competitive throughout his six years in Minneapolis.

Here are our free college football picks and predictions for Nebraska vs Minnesota on August 31, with kickoff set for 8:00 ET.

Nebraska vs Minnesota best odds

Nebraska vs Minnesota picks and predictions

Rhule is well regarded for his previous two collegiate head-coaching gigs. From 2013 to 2016, he brought Temple to even greater heights than it enjoyed under Steve Addazio before he headed to Boston College. And then Rhule took over at Baylor in 2017, following the reprehensible end to the Art Briles era. In just three seasons, Rhule took a 1-11 team and turned it into an 11-3 Big 12 runner-up.

He had two distinctly different brands of season openers at those two stops. In four openers at Temple, Rhule went 3-1 against the spread and 2-2 outright. The one ATS loss came on the only occasion the Owls were favored, -14.5 vs. Army, a game they lost 28-13. Yes, they lost by as much as they were favored.

In three openers at Baylor, the Bears went 0-3 ATS and 3-0 straight up, all three games against FCS-level foes. Those Baylor teams regularly had gradual on-ramps to the season, playing UTSA in the second game of the year in all three seasons and then facing Duke twice and Rice once in the third game. In total, the Bears were 1-7-1 ATS before Big 12 play under Rhule.

Facing Minnesota on this early occasion bears more resemblance to those Temple seasons than those Baylor moments in a few ways.

The Cornhuskers are underdogs, where the Owls went 3-0 ATS. They are facing a Power Five foe, again a 3-0 occasion for Rhule’s first head-coaching job.

And they are a talented roster, at least one worth pondering, more like those Temple teams and certainly unlike those early Baylor teams.

Nebraska’s problem the last few years was never talent, it was coaching. In the last two seasons, it went a combined 2-13 in one-score games and posted an overall record of 7-17 while outscoring opponents by three total points. Advanced math will not surprise anyone by suggesting the Huskers should have gone 12-12 in the last two years.

Nebraska’s average recruiting ranking the last four years was No. 26.5, per 247sports.com. The transfer portal only furthers the talent on hand, led by Georgia Tech transfer quarterback Jeff Sims.

Rhule has not taken over a stable program like when he was handed the keys to Temple after Addazio moved up the coaching ranks, but he has an underrated roster with a decent amount of talent returning 15 total starters. And this is more like the Temple job than the Baylor job, and in the Temple job, Rhule got off to a strong start every year he began as an underdog.

Nebraska is indeed an underdog Thursday, and perhaps thinking about a win would be too bold for Rhule’s Huskers’ debut, but a competitive game should be expected.

My best bet: Nebraska +7 (-106 at FanDuel)

Nebraska vs Minnesota same-game parlay

Nebraska +7

Under 44.5

Jeff Sims anytime touchdown

+791 at FanDuel

Those four season openers under Rhule at Temple all hit the Under. When he had a quality roster, he controlled the game to open the season. Finding an alt number here lowers the total payout, but the same can be said for the same-game parlay already insisting on a lowered total (42.5 when the market is at 43.5).

Nebraska may have an offense designed to control the game, as well. Sims has more than 1,600 career rushing yards once adjusting for sacks. He was, admittedly, rarely kept upright by the Yellow Jackets offensive line, but now the unit in front of him returns more than 120 career starts.

A veteran quarterback with a veteran offensive line that had decent rushing success last season? Rhule should shorten this game.

With Sims, he has options to do so, particularly given he had 10 rushing touchdowns in 18 games in his first two seasons at Georgia Tech. Replacing all but one notable pass catcher could force Sims to get creative in the red zone.

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

Nebraska vs Minnesota spread and Over/Under analysis

At the end of last season, the college football odds would have seen this spread be north of three touchdowns for a Minnesota home game. Some of reducing it to a single score is the bounce expected from Rhule and Sims.

And part of it is acknowledging how much the Gophers have lost. One of the best quarterbacks in program history, Tanner Morgan, has moved on, as has one of the best running backs in program history, Mo Ibrahim. Minnesota returns only two starting offensive linemen. And this is not a program that has found top-level transfer portal success.

But it was a stout defense last season, ranking No. 7 in defensive success rate, per cfb-graphs.com. It was at its best rendering teams ineffective in the red zone, ranking No. 4 in the country in touchdowns allowed per red-zone trips at just 12 out of 28 chances, 42.86 percent.

If Rhule does indeed intend to run the ball, and the Gophers are gearing up a new offense, squandering just one or two long possessions should doom this game Under a total that has fallen to 43.5.

Nebraska vs Minnesota betting trend to know

Eight of Minnesota’s last 11 games have gone Under their total, a fact true for Nebraska, as well. Find more college football betting trends for Nebraska vs Minnesota.

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