Iowa vs. Nebraska prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, live stream, watch online, TV channel
Iowa-Nebraska is a newer rivalry, but it's made up for lost time pretty quickly. There isn't much love lost between the neighboring-state fan bases. It's a Black Friday game that's already become an annual tradition the Big Ten went out of its way to protect moving forward in the new-look, 18-team league.
Iowa enters the final game of its regular season with the Big Ten West title wrapped up. It's been a rollercoaster for the Hawkeyes. The team has suffered more injuries on the offensive side of the ball than seemingly possible, and the school announced longtime offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz won't return next season. Typically, in a year with this many injuries and a coordinator change, teams don't win many games, but this is Iowa we're dealing with. The Hawkeyes are 9-2 and a win here would give the program its eighth 10-win season in 25 years under Kirk Ferentz.
As for Nebraska, the Huskers are hoping the fourth time is the charm. They enter the game with a record of 5-6, but were once 5-3. They've lost three straight games as they try to clinch their first bowl game since 2016.
Iowa vs. Nebraska: Need to know
Since last season, Iowa has won five games in which it scored 15 points or fewer: Is there a more Iowa statistic than that? Last week the Hawkeyes beat Illinois 15-13 thanks to a touchdown in the final minutes. It was their third win in their last five games in which they scored 15 points or fewer, and fourth time in their last five games overall. Air Force (4) is the only other team with more than three such wins in the last two seasons, and the Falcons run an option offense.
Nebraska has turned the ball over more than any other team in the country: The Huskers have tried a number of different quarterbacks this season, but none have been able to solve the turnover issues. The Huskers have 28 total turnovers this year, with 15 interceptions and 13 fumbles lost. However, that doesn't tell the entire story. Nebraska has lost 13 fumbles, but it's fumbled the ball 28 times. I created a stat called Whoopsy Daisy Rate which divides a teams interceptions and fumbles (not fumbles lost, but fumbles) by the amount of snaps it takes, and Nebraska's 6.31% Whoopsy Daisy Rate is the highest in the nation by a lot. The next worst team is Marshall at 5.03%.
This will probably be a one-score game: The last five meetings between these two have been one-score games, which is nothing new for either of them against anybody. Both teams have played in five one-score games this year, but with very different results. Iowa is 4-1 while Nebraska is 1-4, but losing one-score games is Nebraska's thing. The Huskers have lost 42 one-score games since 2014, which is the most in the nation in that time. Since 2021 they've gone 3-17 in one-score games. Imagine if they didn't turn the ball over so often.
How to watch Iowa vs. Nebraska live
Date: Friday, November 23 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Memorial Stadium -- Lincoln, Nebraska
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming onParamount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Iowa vs. Nebraska prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
I'll probably bet the Under 26.5 in this game for the thrill of it, but not because it's a smart bet. No, if you want an actual intelligent wager, take the obvious play. I know Iowa is awful offensively, but the spread is 2.5 points. That suggests this will be a one-score game. Go back and read those numbers I shared about these teams playing one-score games and Nebraska's turnover problems. Do you want to bet Nebraska to win a one-score game when it leads the universe in turnovers and is facing a defense that forces a billion turnovers? I don't! Pick: Iowa +2
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