The Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-8) will try to snap a six-game losing streak when they host the No. 18 Illinois Fighting Illini (14-6) on Thursday night in a Big Ten battle. Nebraska lost three straight games by a combined 11 points before getting crushed by then-No. 18 Wisconsin in an 83-58 final on Sunday. Illinois snapped a two-game losing streak with an 83-74 win over Northwestern on Sunday, covering the spread as an 8-point favorite. The Illini are tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, while the Cornhuskers are in 17th place.
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Illinois is favored by 4.5 points in the latest Nebraska vs. Illinois odds, while the over/under is 154.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Illinois vs. Nebraska picks, you’ll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 13 of the 2024-25 season on an 202-142 betting roll (+2468) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Illinois-Nebraska. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- Nebraska vs. Illinois spread: Illinois -4.5
- Nebraska vs. Illinois over/under: 154.5 points
- Nebraska vs. Illinois money line: Illinois: -189, Nebraska: +156
- Nebraska vs. Illinois picks: See picks here
- Nebraska vs. Illinois streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Nebraska can cover
Nebraska is coming off a rough outing against Wisconsin, but its previous three losses came by five points or fewer. The Cornhuskers covered the spread as 9-point underdogs at Maryland on Jan. 19, as senior forward Andrew Morgan scored a team-high 17 points off the bench. They came up short against USC in their following game, despite senior forward Juwan Gary pouring in 27 points on 11 of 19 shooting.
The Cornhuskers got off to a 12-2 start this season and were nearly in the top 25, so they have showcased their high ceiling this year. They desperately need to start a winning streak, especially since they only have one more ranked opponent on their schedule. Nebraska is 18-2 in its last 20 home games, making this the perfect spot to get back on track. See which team to pick here.
Why Illinois can cover
Illinois led Northwestern 43-21 at halftime and maintained their 22-point lead until the final five minutes, when the Wildcats went on a late run to make the final score look respectable. The Illini held a 50-27 rebounding advantage in that win, including 21 offensive rebounds. Freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr. had 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in the win.
The Illini were without center Tomislav Ivisic, who is the team’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder. He has missed the last two games due to mononucleosis, and his status for this game is unknown. Illinois has won nine consecutive games between these teams, and it has covered the spread in four of the last six meetings. See which team to pick here.
How to make Nebraska vs. Illinois picks
The model has simulated Illinois vs. Nebraska 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nebraska vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Illinois vs. Nebraska spread you need to jump on, all from the model on an 202-142 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
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