Nebraska vs Minnesota Odds, Lines & Predictions for Thursday Night College Football

• Nebraska vs Minnesota goes down Thursday night in College Football Week 1
• The Golden Gophers are favored by 7.5 points after winning by a 20-13 score last season
• Read below for Nebraska vs Minnesota odds, spread and predictions for CFB Week 1

Big Ten college football action is set to kick off with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-0) facing the Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-0) on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at Huntington Bank Stadium. The game will start at 8:00 PM ET and will be broadcast on FOX.

The latest Nebraska vs Minnesota odds have the Golden Gophers set at 7.5-point favorites on their home field. The over/under is set at just 43.5 points after Minnesota beat Nebraska by a 20-13 score in this matchup last season.

Let’s analyze the Nebraska vs Minnesota odds and determine the best bet to make for this CFB mid-week game.

Nebraska vs Minnesota Odds

In the Nebraska vs Minnesota odds, the Gophers are -310 moneyline favorites, giving them a 75.6% implied win probability. The Cornhuskers come back as +250 underdogs, giving them 29% implied win probability.

Odds as of August 28th, 2023 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out our top sports betting apps for Nebraska vs Minnesota. 

Improved Cornhuskers Seeking Revenge

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season, where they finished with a 4-8 record. With new head coach Matt Rhule at the helm, the team and its fans are hopeful for a turnaround in the 2023 season.

One of those losses for Nebraska last year was a 20-13 defeat at the hands of Minnesota at home in November. Dropping close games was a theme of Nebraska’s 2022 campaign, as the Cornhuskers lost five games by a touchdown or less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2zgjUGDO4I&pp=ygUXbmVicmFza2EgbWlubmVzb3RhIDIwMjI%3D

Nebraska had to start Chuba Purdy due to an injury to Casey Thompson last year, which led to limited passing. This season, they’ve brought in Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims, who threw for 1,115 yards, five TD, and three interceptions in seven games last year.

Defensively, the Cornhuskers are switching to a 3-3-5 formation in an attempt to counter opponents’ speed. Nebraska returns most of its offensive line, but there are concerns about its performance after allowing 33 sacks in 12 games last season, which was 11th in the Big Ten.

Golden Gophers Consistently Consistent Under Fleck

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are coming off another strong season in 2022, finishing with a 9-4 record. Since PJ Fleck took over at the helm in 2019, the Golden Gophers have a 62% win percentage and are 4-0 in bowl games.

Minnesota was the Big 10’s top team last season in terms of possession, but that might be hard to duplicate following the loss of star running back Mahammed Ibrahim to the NFL. Fortunately, they bring in talented transfer Sean Tyler, who rushed for 1,017 yards with Western Michigan in 2022.

For the third time this offseason, Minnesota has landed a Western Michigan transfer. This time RB Sean Tyler who was previously set to play at Oklahoma State next season. #Gophers #RTB

🔗https://t.co/bYQopJQtOZ pic.twitter.com/PtmPm4rCjq

— DylanCallaghanCroley (@RivalsDylanCC) January 13, 2023

The Golden Gophers are also breaking in a new starting quarterback following the departure of veteran pivot Tanner Morgan. Sophomore Athan Kaliakmanis will be starting against Nebraska after throwing 946 yards and three touchdowns with four picks last season.

Defensively, the Gophers had a top-five defense in the Big Ten last season, allowing 279.5 yards per contest and an average of 13.3 points per game. An issue for the Gophers was getting quarterback pressure, as MIN only managed 19 sacks in 13 contests.

Nebraska vs Minnesota Trends & Splits

When it comes to betting trends for this college football Week 1 clash, one side has a clear edge. Nebraska has struggled against Minnesota recently, going 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS in their last six matchups. The Cornhuskers also only have two wins in their last nine road games.

Head-to-Head Betting Stats

Taking a look at the college football public betting splits, the head-to-head trends don’t seem too important to bettors. Although Minnesota is getting 86% of the handle to win the game, 89% of the spread handle is backing the Cornhuskers at +7.5.

Bettors are fairly divided on the game total for Nebraska vs Minnesota, as 53% of the money is going to the over of 43.5 points. Minnesota has been playing some low-scoring home games recently, with the “under” hitting in 8 of their last 10 contests at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Nebraska vs Minnesota Prediction

One of our favorite Week 1 college football against the spread picks comes in this Thursday night Big Ten clash on FOX. The Cornhuskers offer great value to stay within a touchdown in this game, and are also worth sprinkling on the moneyline.

☠️ pic.twitter.com/K9FL7O7nrX

— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) August 28, 2023

New quarterback Jeff Sims is a talented playmaker who threw for over 4,500 during his three years at GA Tech. He’ll have a great blend of familiar and new receivers at his proposal, with sixth-year senior Billy Kemp returning and top receiver prospect Malachi Coleman making his NCAA debut.

Minnesota’s defense was solid against the run last season, but they struggled to get pressure on the quarterback. We trust the experience of Sims and this receiver group more than we trust a Minnesota team that not only lost their star back, but feature a QB who had more interceptions than touchdowns last year.

• Pick: Nebraska +7.5 (-110)

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