Not to date myself, but there once was a time I would lay 40+ points with the Nebraska Cornhuskers without batting an eye. Those times have unfortunately come and gone for a once proud College Football program that racked up 10+ wins and bowl victories on the reg. It’s almost impossible to fathom, but Big Red has failed to log a winning season or punch a ticket to a bowl game for seven years. SEVEN YEARS!! The current stretch is one the loyal fan base would appreciate being stricken from the record. The University made a gross miscalculation in showing Bo Pelini the door, evidenced by the atrocities that proved to be the Mike Riley and Scott Frost eras. Is Matt Rhule the guy to turn it around? He did exactly that for Temple and Baylor and seemed to have the Huskers on the right path last season, regardless of the five wins coming up short of the team’s 6.5-game win total odds. The number to beat at the online sportsbook for the upcoming college football betting season sits a game higher at 7.5, with heavier -125 juice attached to the over. It looks like the futures betting market is bullish on the Huskers making some waves. Should you be too? Let’s dig into the state of the Cornhuskers’ program and determine whether to ride the wave or fade the hype regarding the number of wins Nebraska churns out this year.
College Football Season Wins Odds
Nebraska Cornhuskers 2024-25 Regular Season Win Total Odds
Nebraska Over 7.5 Wins -125
Nebraska Under 7.5 Wins +105
A Case for the Over: Lost in the madness of a seventh straight losing season is the fact that the defense was quite impressive. It ranked No. 11 overall, allowing just over 303 yards per game, and was a stonewall against the run, holding opponents to fewer than 93 yards per game (No. 8) on a paltry 3.0 yards per carry (No. 6). Of the seven starters returning from last year’s unit, three are up front, with the trio of Nash Hutmacher, Ty Robinson, and Jimari Butler once again looking to wreak havoc in the trenches. The linebacker core appears tough as nails as well, with the 1-2 tackling punch of Javin Wright and John Bullock getting a solid lending hand in the form of Syracuse transfer Stefon Thompson. Depth in the secondary looks to be the unit’s Achilles heel, but if the front seven can take care of business as expected, Big Red could improve its pass defense ranking from last year (No. 40). Though the offense brings in a talent at the quarterback position unseen in Lincoln seemingly forever, he’s young and will go through some growing pains. It’ll be up to the defense to navigate the choppy waters early on and put the team in a position to topple what I believe to be an extremely optimistic win total.
A Case for the Under: Like Caleb Williams in Chicago, the expectations placed on Dylan Raiola are astronomical. Arguably the best quarterback prospect to ever enter the Nebraska football program in its 125-year history, all eyes will be on the 19-year-old as he takes his first snaps at the collegiate level. Initially destined for the USC Trojans, and then the Georgia Bulldogs, Raiola is now QB1 for the Cornhuskers and is expected to revive a stagnant offense that returns seven starters from a unit that ranked No. 117 overall and scored an average of 18.0 points per game (No. 123). While the offensive line was solid in opening holes for the nation’s No. 40 ranked ground attack, led by now-backup QB Heinrich Haarberg, it was horrendous in pass protection, allowing 2.4 sacks per game (No. 92). The transfer portal brought in reinforcements at the running back and wide receiver positions, but will they be enough to resurrect Big Red’s offense? Improvement is expected with the uber-talent Nebraska finally has under center, but it could take time for everything to fall into place, making it tough to stockpile early wins before the schedule toughens up dramatically in the back half.
2024-25 Nebraska Cornhuskers Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT |
| Aug 31 | vs. UTEP |
| Sep 7 | vs. Colorado |
| Sep 14 | vs. Northern Iowa |
| Sep 20 | vs. Illinois |
| Sep 28 | at Purdue |
| Oct 5 | vs. Rutgers |
| Oct 12 | OFF |
| Oct 19 | at Indiana |
| Oct 26 | at Ohio State |
| Nov 2 | vs. UCLA |
| Nov 9 | OFF |
| Nov 16 | at USC |
| Nov 23 | vs. Wisconsin |
| Nov 29 | at Iowa |
Looking at the schedule laid before the Huskers, they have an excellent opportunity to start strong with home games against UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa, and Illinois in the first month. Current college football betting lines have them installed 27.5-point favorites over the Miners and 6.5-point favorites over Deion’s Buffs the following week. If they come out on the right side of the scoreboard in both clashes and follow it up with wins over the Panthers and Fighting Illini, Big Red will invade West Lafayette with loads of momentum for the first of five scheduled road games. Honestly, it wouldn’t shock me if the Huskers managed to start 7-0, considering only one of those opponents went bowling last season. However, the final five games on the docket are all challenging, with matchups @Ohio State, UCLA, @USC, Wisconsin, and @Iowa. While they might not lose all those games, they also might not win each of their first seven. I expect another step in the right direction for the program as a whole, potentially snapping Big Red's seven-year bowl-less streak. However, expecting eight wins, even with this schedule, is a bit too optimistic for me.
College Football Win Total Prediction: Nebraska Cornhuskers Under 7.5 Wins
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