Purdue vs Nebraska Betting Preview, Predictions, and Pick

Purdue Boilermakers (2-5 SU, ATS 2-5) vs Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-3 SU, ATS 3-4)
Date: Saturday, October 28th
Location: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE), Lincoln, NE
TV: FS1
Point Spread: Purdue +2.5/Nebraska -2.5
Money Line: Purdue +109/Nebraska -132
Over/Under: 40.5

The Purdue Boilermakers and Nebraska Cornhuskers matchup in a Big Ten showdown at Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE) in Lincoln, NE. The over/under for this matchup is currently 40.5, while Nebraska is favored by -2.5.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

Purdue and Nebraska did not have any head-to-head matchups last season. But over the last three times playing each other, Purdue has a record of 2-1. Against the spread, each team went 1-2 and finished with an over/under mark of 1-2. These games averaged a combined 35 points per contest.

Purdue Boilermakers Recent Form:

As Purdue prepares to take on Nebraska, they have a record of 2-5. The Boilermakers most recently lost to Ohio State by a score of 41-7.

Going into the game, Purdue was the 17.5-point underdogs and in addition to losing straight-up, they did not cover the spread. The team’s combined 48 points was not enough to surpass the over/under line of 53.

In the loss vs. Ohio State, quarterback Hudson Card finished with a QB rating of 62.76 while completing 13 of 32 passes for 126 yards. He also ended the game with one touchdown.

Devin Mockobee carried the ball 18 times vs. Ohio State and led the team in rushing with 110 yards, but he couldn’t find the endzone on the ground during the game. In the passing game, Mershawn Rice finished with a team high 50 receiving yards while averaging 16.7 yards per reception.

On defense, Purdue finished their game against Ohio State, by giving up a total of 369 yards. Ohio State threw the ball 35 times for 286 vs. Purdue. While on the ground, the Boilermakers gave up 83 rushing yards. On defense, the Boilermakers defense has 21 sacks and are 1st in QB hurries. So far, teams are scoring 29.9 points per game against them (105th). In terms of pass defense, they’re ranked 117th in the NCAA, allowing 241.9 passing yards per game. Moreover, Purdue’s run defense is allowing 154.7 rushing yards per contest.

Away Injury Report

Nebraska Cornhuskers Recent Form:

Heading into this week’s matchup vs. Purdue, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have an above .500 record of 4-3. This comes after taking down Northwestern in their most recent game (17-9).

Nebraska’s straight-up win was not enough to cover the spread vs. Northwestern, as the line going into the game was -11. On the over/under, the line was set at 40, resulting in a hit for the under.

Heinrich Haarberg finished with 17 passing attempts against Northwestern. This led to a total of 85 passing yards, coupled with a completion percentage of 47.1%. It’s noteworthy that he also threw two interceptions in the win.

Emmett Johnson carried the ball 12 times vs. Northwestern and led the team in rushing with 73 yards, but he couldn’t find the endzone on the ground during the game. Malachi Coleman had a stellar performance as the team’s top receiver, scoring one touchdown and making one reception for 44 yards.

Against Northwestern, the Cornhuskers defense was excellent against Northwestern, giving up just 9 points on 257 yards allowed. Northwestern’s passing game finished with 176 yards. Up-front, Nebraska gave up 2.1 yards per attempt. The Cornhuskers defense heads into this week’s matchup with 25 sacks and sitting 1st in QB hurries. So far, they’ve allowed 19.3 points per game (63rd). In the pass defense department, they’re 107th nationally, giving up 237 passing yards per game. Additionally, when it comes to defending the run, Nebraska’s defense is allowing 76.6 rushing yards per contest.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• Looking at Purdue’s ten most recent road games, they have put together a record vs. the spread of 6-4.
• At home, Nebraska has gone 3-2 against the spread (last five).
• Nebraska’s ATS record in their five most recent games as an underdog is 3-2.
• Over their last three games as the betting favorite, Purdue has an ATS record of 1-2.

Free Pick

Coming off a bye week, I’m taking Purdue to win this one straight up. Even though they are on the road and 2.5-point underdogs, I like the Boilermakers to take down Nebraska.