The 18th-ranked Auburn Tigers look for a final tune-up before entering league play when they battle the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a Holiday Hoopsgiving matchup on Saturday. The Huskers (5-5), who have lost three in a row, look to rebound from Tuesday’s 102-67 thrashing at the hands of Michigan. The Tigers (7-1), who have won four in a row, are coming off an 86-64 win over Yale. Auburn registered a season-high 14 blocks against Yale, which tied for the most under coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl will not be on the bench for the Tigers after receiving a two-game suspension and the program being placed on four years’ probation for rules violations.
Tipoff from State Farm Arena in Atlanta is set for 11:30 a.m. ET. This will be the first-ever meeting between the teams. The Tigers are 14-point favorites in the latest Nebraska vs. Auburn odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 149. Before making any Nebraska vs. Auburn picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nebraska vs. Auburn and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Nebraska vs. Auburn:
- Nebraska vs. Auburn spread: Auburn -14
- Nebraska vs. Auburn over-under: 149 points
- NEB: The Cornhuskers are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games after allowing more than 90 points in their previous game
- AUB: The Tigers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall
Why Auburn can cover
Forward Jabari Smith, a blue chip freshman, was the highest-rated player to sign in program history and has been as good as advertised. He is the Tigers’ leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 16.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Smith is on a team-best five-game double-digit scoring streak, and is coming off a 17-point effort in the win over Yale. He has been red hot from the field, connecting on 46.3 percent from the floor, including 43.9 percent from 3-point range, and is hitting 82.9 percent from the free throw line.
Sophomore K.D. Johnson is also a scoring threat, averaging 15.5 points per game, including 19 points against Yale. He has reached double figures in seven games this season, including 27 in a double-overtime 115-109 loss to No. 22 Connecticut on Nov. 24. He is also averaging 2.8 steals, two rebounds and 1.1 assists. The transfer from Georgia had averaged 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.2 assists in 16 games last season with the Bulldogs.
Why Nebraska can cover
Senior Alonzo Verge Jr., a graduate transfer from Arizona State, is off to a big start to his Cornhuskers career, averaging 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He led Nebraska with 31 points, eight rebounds and three assists vs. Michigan, and nearly posted a triple-double at North Carolina State with 25 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. He had 18 points and 10 assists against Tennessee State, and recorded his first career double-double in his Cornhuskers debut against Western Illinois in a 75-74 loss on Nov. 9, finishing with 26 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
Freshman guard Bryce McGowens has made a big first impression. The five-star recruit leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring at 16.4 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.8. He is already a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, and had 24 points and nine rebounds at North Carolina State, his fourth 20-point game of 2021-22. He collected his first double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds against Southern on Nov. 21.
How to make Nebraska vs. Auburn picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the point total. In fact, it says Nebraska’s Kobe Webster will better his season average by more than two points, while Auburn’s Wendell Green will score nearly three points over his season average. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s Auburn vs. Nebraska pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nebraska vs. Auburn? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nebraska vs. Auburn spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
