Iowa vs Nebraska prediction, pick, college basketball odds

03/09/2025 03:26 AM

It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Iowa-Nebraska prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Iowa-Nebraska.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are squarely on the bubble. They have struggled over the past two weeks and turned an advantageous bubble situation into a negative one. A home-court loss to Minnesota was a brutal turn of events for the Huskers, who had done so much good work in the month of February to put themselves inside the cut line. The loss to the Gophers put them on the wrong side of the cut line, and then an overtime loss to Ohio State denied them an opportunity to move back to the good side of the bubble. Nebraska is clearly on the wrong side of the bubble right now. This Iowa win is necessary to stabilize the Huskers, but there’s another wrinkle in terms of the bubble calculus involved for NU.

This year, as you probably already know, the Big Ten Tournament has 15 teams and will not invite the bottom three teams in the conference standings. A Nebraska loss to Iowa would put the Huskers in 16th place in the conference, out of the Big Ten Tournament. That means Nebraska would not be able to play any games next week. The Huskers do need to win at least one game beyond this Iowa game to have any chance of getting into the field. They might have to win two games at the Big Ten Tournament to get in. If NU loses to Iowa, therefore, the Huskers — locked out of the Big Ten Tournament — would essentially be finished as a bubble candidate. They would not make the NCAA Tournament. This is therefore a double elimination game for the Huskers. They are trying to stay alive for both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments in the same game.

Here are the Iowa-Nebraska College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Iowa-Nebraska Odds

Iowa: +7.5 (-105)

Moneyline: +255

Nebraska: -7.5 (-115)

Moneyline: -320

Over: 155.5 (-110)

Under: 155.5 (-110)

How to Watch Iowa vs Nebraska

Time: 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT

TV: Fox

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Why Iowa Will Cover The Spread/Win

Iowa is going up against a Nebraska team which is cratering. The Huskers were supposed to handle Minnesota comfortably at home a week ago, but they stepped on a rake and blew that game. If Nebraska could lose at home outright to Minnesota — not merely failing to cover, but not even winning on the moneyline — why should NU suddenly be trusted here against Iowa, which gave Michigan State a very tough game a few nights ago? Iowa is playing to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament in its own right. This is an elimination game for both teams, not just Nebraska. Iowa has powerful incentive to win, because a loss here means its season ends on Sunday.

Why Nebraska Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Huskers are playing at home in a must-win game. If they lose here, their NCAA Tournament dream dies. Nebraska is the only power conference team which has never, ever won a single NCAA Tournament game. Getting back to the NCAA tourney means so much to this program because it offers the chance of finally winning a March Madness game, the goal which keeps coaches and players up at night. Nebraska has struggled in recent weeks, but this game really does mean everything. Not winning big here is unacceptable. Nebraska will max out in this situation.

Final Iowa-Nebraska Prediction & Pick

Nebraska will play a great game. The stakes are too high, the pride of the team too great, to not play really well in this scenario. Take Nebraska.

Final Iowa-Nebraska Prediction & Pick: Nebraska -7.5

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