Wisconsin vs. Nebraska Expert Pick – February 1, 2024

WISCONSIN VS. NEBRASKA EXPERT PICK – FEBRUARY 1, 2024 – Sixth-ranked Wisconsin is headed to Lincoln to take on an underrated Nebraska squad. They have had an up-and-down path through conference play, going 5-5 thus far. Wisconsin, on the other hand, is 8-1 in conference and 16-4 overall.

They moved forward seven spots to number six in the AP Top 25 rankings after recovering from a loss at Penn State. The Cornhuskers should welcome them with a competitive game in Pinnacle Bank Arena. Check out the Godzilla Wins Daily Staff Picks page.

The Odds

Tipoff

When: Thursday, February 1 at 8:30 p.m. EST

Where: Penacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, NE

TV: BTN

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of January 31st, 2024.

Wisconsin vs. Nebraska Head-To-Head

These teams met in Madison on January 6. Wisconsin won 88 to 72 and dominated the paint. They outrebounded them 32 to 26 and scored 36 points in the paint compared to 18 for Nebraska. The Badgers led the whole game, with the largest lead being 21. The Cornhuskers did not have an answer for Tyler Wahl, who finished that game with 17 points in 31 minutes. Keisei Tominaga led the Cornhuskers with 17 points in 32 minutes.

AJ Storr has typically been the leading scorer for Wisconsin, averaging 15.9 points per game, but he was held to 10 points in the first meeting while only playing 20 minutes. The x-factor for the Badgers in the first meeting was their bench. They scored 36 points, while Nebraska’s bench scored just 18 points. It would not be surprising to see Nebraska’s bench play better in this matchup, while Wisconsin’s bench must adapt to the hostile crowd. “The Bank” should be packed as a top-ten team comes to town.

Wisconsin vs. Nebraska In-Season Trends

Nebraska has not lost a home game in conference play this season. They are 4-0, including a win over number-one-ranked Purdue. Nebraska is 10-4 ATS at home and 1-5 on the road. They are an entirely different team at home, and they are familiar with this Wisconsin team featuring several players with multiple seasons under their belt.

Wisconsin is 11-8-1 ATS this season but 2-4 as the away team. I would be remiss if I did not mention last year’s game at “The Bank.” Wisconsin led 45-28 with a little over 16 minutes remaining but lost in overtime. Tominaga made five threes, including four down the stretch, to force overtime. The Cornhuskers won the overtime period 12 to two. These teams have many returning players from last season and a familiarity with one another that will show in this matchup.

The Badgers have struggled to defend the three this season. They allow their opponents to make 7.1 three-pointers per game at a 36.2% clip, which is 312th in the nation. The Cornhuskers rank 27th in the country with 9.6 three-pointers per game and convert 36.4%. The three-ball could be the difference in this game, as it was last season.

The Pick

Nebraska has proven they are a different squad at home this season, and the spread reflects that. They were +5.5 on the road earlier this season and lost by 16. They are coming off a tough loss to Maryland, but “the Bank” has a different energy that brings the best out of them.