The surprising Nebraska Cornhuskers were not expected to be among the heavyweights in the Big Ten this season, but more than midway through the season they are still undefeated and atop the West conference standings.
Nebraska will aim to keep rolling when it faces off against the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 8 of the regular season. The Cornhuskers are at home and the more talented team, and not surprisingly have been listed as comfortable favorites. Nebraska figures to win easily and remain in the top-10 of the national polls for another week.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 8 game is set for Saturday, October 22, 2016, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Purdue +24
Nebraska -24
Over/Under 61.5
Odds Analysis
The Boilermakers are big-time underdogs, so just a solid first half would likely give them a good chance at covering. The betting public is split on whether or not they can pull it off, as an even 50 percent of the early action is on either side to cover.
The gamblers really like the “under” action on the scoring total, with more than 65 percent of the money heading that way.
Nebraska’s impressive 6-0 start has only paid off marginally for its backers, as the Huskers are 3-2-1 against the spread. Good news for this game: They are 3-1-1 in covering as the favorite.
Purdue is 3-3 overall and has the same record against the spread. The Boilermakers have struggled as underdogs, covering only once in four attempts.
Player to Watch
David Blough - Purdue’s only real chance at staying close is if its quarterback has a good game. He is 148-of-265 passing this season with 1,756 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Blough had a fantastic showing last time out, throwing for 458 yards with five touchdowns against only one interception. Purdue still lost to Iowa, but he kept them within striking distance.
Nebraska is even a tougher opponent, and its offense figures to perform well against a Purdue defense which has given up some big point totals this season. Blough has to take care of the ball in order for the Boilermakers to put a scare into Nebraska.
Lookahead situation
Nebraska would love to put the hammer down early on and cruise to the win before looking ahead to the next two weeks, but it’s also human nature to have one eye forward already.
The Cornhuskers will play road games at No. 10 Wisconsin and at No. 2 Ohio State after this game, and they will likely be underdogs in both. Nebraska’s dream season could get a reality check in those contests, but the team has to be focused enough to get there feeling good.
If Nebraska is looking ahead too much, this game could be closer than expected and allow for a cover by Purdue.
Free ATS Pick
Even though Nebraska could be looking ahead a little bit, this one is a true mismatch. The Huskers have grinded out some tough wins this season but likely won’t need to in this matchup, as they have the clear talent advantage.
Quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Jr. could be in for a big game, as could the Nebraska rushing attack, and the Cornhuskers could certainly run away with this one. The point spread is high, but don’t be scared off by it.
Nebraska may be in for a rude awakening in the coming weeks against some top-notch competition, but this is one it should handle with ease. Purdue doesn’t have the horses to stick around and will lose in a blowout.
Take the “over” as Nebraska could put up some big numbers if the offense gets rolling and the defense gets put in advantageous positions to cause turnovers.
College Football Odds: Nebraska 48, Purdue 17
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