Nebraska vs #16 Indiana: NCAA Football Predictions, Odds & Best Bets

The undefeated Indiana Hoosiers host the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a Big Ten matchup in Bloomington this Saturday. I’ll be honest, I haven’t been paying much attention to the Hoosiers. But I blinked and Indiana is off to a 6-0 start for the first time since 1967, and ranked #16 in the country. Kurtis Rourke has nearly 1,800 passing yards and has thrown 14 TDs and just 2 interceptions as the Hoosiers continue to roll week after week. But coming off a bye, they now host Nebraska, arguably their toughest test to date.

The Cornhuskers are also off a bye week and are sitting at 5-1 on the season. They face Ohio State next week, so they may be in a bit of a look ahead spot, but Matt Rhule should have his boys ready to go following their week of rest. Nebraska knows they need to win out to have a shot at the Big Ten Championship game, and that dream starts with getting a tough road win as a touchdown underdog this weekend.

Indiana is 6-0, no one can deny that. But…. who have they beaten? Northwestern on the road? Maryland? UCLA in the City of Angels? Truth be told, the Hoosiers simply haven’t been tested, and I think they are in for a rude awakening this weekend. Will they defend their home turf in Bloomington? Or will Nebraska come into town and steal a win from the Hoosiers?

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Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Indiana Hoosiers: Big Ten Country

Can Dylan Raiola and Nebraska beat Indiana on the road?

Matchup Information – Nebraska vs Indiana

• Venue & Location: Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN)
• Date: Saturday, October 19th, 2024
• Kick Off: 12:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: FOX

Betting Odds

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Spread

• Nebraska +6.5 (-105)
• Indiana -6.5 (-115)

Money Line

• Nebraska +200
• Indiana -240

Total

• Over 51 (-115)
• Under 51 (-105)

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Can Hoosiers Stay Perfect at Home?

Rourke has nearly 300 passing yards per game for the Hoosiers

It’s no secret that the Hoosiers haven’t necessarily been tested so far this season. Sure, they are 6-0, scoring over 41 points per game and moving the ball for over 475 yards, ranking 9th in the country in both aspects. However, the defenses they’ve played certainly don’t stack up against Nebraska’s defense.

Indiana Hoosiers Opponent’s Defense Points Allowed Rankings

• FIU: 26 PPG (70th)
• UCLA: 28.5 PPG (84th)
• Charlotte: 32.8 PPG (103rd)
• Maryland: 25.2 PPG (63rd)
• NW: 21.4 PPG (37th)

Wanna guess where Nebraska ranks? They’re 8th, allowing just 13 points per game, and only 10 on the road this season. But not only that, they also rank 6th in yards per play allowed, giving up just 3.7 yards per play on the road. Shall we check in on the Hoosiers’ opponents there?

Indiana Hoosiers Opponent’s Defense Yards Per Play Rankings

• FIU: 5.2 (50th)
• UCLA: 5.3 (57th)
• Charlotte: 6.6 (116th)
• Maryland: 5.9 (87th)
• NW: 5.2 (44th)

I see Indiana having an extremely hard time moving the ball, as they haven’t really faced a Top 40 defense, and now have to go up against a Top 8 unit in the country. The question will be whether or not the Hoosiers’ defense can hold up against Raiola and company.

The Cornhuskers may have been looking ahead last weekend as they only beat Rutgers by a touchdown, but they still got the job done. This week, on the road, they face an Indiana defense, that again, has not been tested. Nebraska has played teams like Illinois, Rutgers and Colorado in preparation, however they will have to go on the road, which they aren’t used to. With Nebraska potentially looking ahead to the Buckeyes, I can’t bring myself to back them as an underdog, but I will bet on their defense to show up.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Indiana Hoosiers Best Bets

Dante Dowdell is going to have plenty of work on the ground this Saturday

Nebraska vs Indiana Prediction: Indiana Wins, Nebraska Covers, Under 51

Best Bets: Nebraska/Indiana Under 51 (-110) BetOnline

The Cornhuskers defense is allowing 7.4 points per game to teams not named Illinois. What a stat. If they played better against the Illini, they could certainly be undefeated, but nevertheless, I trust them to show up on Saturday. I don’t trust the Nebraska offense as much as I did earlier in the season, and Indiana’s defense has been rock solid despite not playing the toughest offenses.

Big Ten football is built on defense, and I think we see that in a low scoring matchup this Saturday in Bloomington. I think Indiana will somehow find a way to win a nail biter, but I do like the Huskers to keep it within a touchdown. I’ll bet on defense and the under, and also take this player prop as well.

Bonus Bets: Dante Dowdell Over 43.5 Rushing Yards (-113) BetOnline

We’ve cashed with Dowdell once this season, and we’re going back to him on a very low line. BetOnline is offering Dowdell for 43.5 rushing yards with the over priced at (-113). Some books are offering the same number but for more juice, while others have this line at 47.5 and even 50.5. Once again, we are getting the best lines on the market with BetOnline.

Dowdell has fresh legs coming off a bye week. He has over double the amount of touches as the next closest rusher for the Huskers, and he’s ran over this line in 5/6 games this season. Dowdell is running for 4.5 yards per carry, 55.6 yards per game, and has cleared this number in as little as 6 carries. Now he’s getting 12.3 touches per game, so this line should be a breeze, especially considering he has a 12+ yard rush in 5/6 games this year.

While Indiana’s rushing defense isn’t the worst, they still give up 3.5 yards per carry, with the number inflated to 4.2 over the past 3 games. Dowdell has led the team in touches every single game this season, and seeing this line below 50, it’s an automatic play for me just based on the volume he will see. I like Nebraska to pound the ground, sending a message that they control the line of scrimmage early. This will not only take pressure off of their young quarterback, it will keep the Hoosier’s veteran leader on the sidelines, unable to score.

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