Nebraska vs. Michigan College Basketball prediction, preview
We have a top-five matchup on Tuesday night with No. 3 Michigan hosting No. 5 Nebraska, and I’m sure the spread will catch some eyes in this one. The Huskers are a perfect 20-0 this season, yet are catching 10.5 points in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines are getting some serious respect in this one, so the question becomes this — is it warranted?
I understand how power rankings work, and Michigan grades out significantly higher than Nebraska. If you’re betting against the Wolverines, you’re accepting that you’re going against a team that has the potential to be a buzzsaw against elite teams — just go ask Gonzaga about its 40-point loss. But that hasn’t necessarily been the case recently for Michigan.
Since nearly losing to Penn State back on January 6, here are Michigan’s point margins — two-point win over Penn State, three-point loss to Wisconsin, 10-point wins over Washington and Oregon, 14-point win over Indiana and most recently a 12-point win over Ohio State. That’s 0-6 ATS, failing to cover by an average of just over 10 points per game.
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s going to lose at some point, and it very well could be this game to Michigan. But catching double digits is a bit too much for me with this “never say die” Nebraska squad. The Huskers aren’t just winning in this role, they are covering — 5-0 ATS in true road games and 3-0 ATS as an underdog, covering by 9.3 points per game.
The Huskers have really seen it all this season. They got a win over KenPom’s No. 1 ranked defense at home against Michigan State. They got a win on the road against KenPom’s No. 1 ranked offense in Illinois.
Michigan is a wagon at times, but I’ll back Nebraska to keep this a ballgame.
