CFB Best Bets, Picks and Analysis For Nebraska vs. Northwestern on August 27, 2022

On Saturday, August 27, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Northwestern Wildcats kick off the college football season with a meeting at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland at 12:30 pm ET.

With this being one of the first college football games of the 2022 season, it also makes for one of the first chances for fans to get some football betting in. With that said, keep reading for our Nebraska vs. Northwestern best bets, picks and analysis.

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Nebraska vs. Northwestern Best Bets, Predictions and Analysis

Spread Breakdown

Northwestern’s three-win season in 2021 appears to have left a poor taste in everybody’s mouths, as the Wildcats have the lowest regular season win total in the Big Ten this season and find themselves as double-digit underdogs against a Cornhuskers team that is just 15-29 since Scott Frost became Nebraska’s head coach.

Expectations are somewhat high for Frost and Co. this year, but the pre-season hype surrounding the Cornhuskers is getting a little hard to trust. This program has lost a lot of close games under Frost, and while that might suggest they’re better than their record suggests they are, it can also be viewed as a program-wide failure to establish a winning culture.

The Wildcats are going to face some question marks entering this season, but Pat Fitzgerald is one of the best head coaches in college football. He has 14 returning starters to work with, and he knows how to develop his athletes. With that in mind, Northwestern should take a sizable leap this season, and Fitzgerald is a world-class motivator that will have his players believing they can win any game they’re playing.

MORE: CFB Futures Probabilities

Look for Northwestern’s defense — especially the secondary — to look a lot better this season, and don’t be surprised if that group makes some big plays against new Huskers quarterback Casey Thompson, who transferred from the University of Texas and might be nervous in his first game under center for Nebraska. Fitzgerald’s team should also have a better defensive line after turning to the transfer portal to patch up some glaring holes up front.

Don’t be surprised if the Wildcats offense gets better, with an improved offensive line leading to a dangerous rushing attack, led by Evan Hull and the returning Cam Porter. Hull rushed for 1,009 yards and seven scores behind a mediocre O-Line last year, and he should do bigger things with real holes to run through. Northwestern’s passing game should also take a step forward. Whether it’s Ryan Hilinksi or sophomore Brendan Sullivan under center, some improved pass blocking will give them more time in the pocket to make good decision.  

It’s just hard to see Northwestern turning in another season like 2021 anytime soon. This is a well-coached team that generally does its best work when expectations are low. And the Cornhuskers have question marks on both the offensive and defensive lines. With that, you should expect the Wildcats to go into Ireland and give the Huskers a game.

Over/Under Breakdown

The Under is 7-3-2 in the 12 games Nebraska has played in the first month of the season under Frost, and it’s also 16-11-2 in games in which Northwestern has played as an underdog of 10.5 to 21 points under Fitzgerald. Also, the Under had hit in each of the previous two meetings between these teams before Nebraska’s 56-7 win over Northwestern last season. You can chalk that game up to a miserable year for the Wildcats, who should get back to their bruising style in 2022.

As previously mentioned, Northwestern should be better along the defensive line and in the secondary this season, so teams won’t be able to run all over them or successfully dial up designer deep shots whenever they want. And offensively, the Wildcats like to control the time of possession with their ground game. That preferred style of play, along with the fact that playing overseas could impact the legs of both teams, makes it hard not to lean towards the Under.

MORE: Full betting previews for every CFB game

Best Bet - Cornhuskers vs. Wildcats

It’s hard to see why the Wildcats are getting this many points here. Would it really surprise anybody if Northwestern won this one outright? We’re going with the Wildcats to cover +12.5, and this is also worthy of a small moneyline wager, at DraftKings Sportsbook, too. If you want to tail either, just tap the green button below. Good luck!

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