Creighton vs. Nebraska Odds
| Creighton Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 145.5 -108 | +140 |
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 145.5 -108 | -160 |
Nebraska vs. Creighton is a fantastic intrastate rivalry. Both schools bring a passionate fan base. Tuesday night brings these two bitter rivals together in Lincoln, Neb., for the 55th time in their history.
The Bluejays lead the all-time series 28-26 and have won nine of the last 10 matchups.
Can Nebraska reverse the recent trend or will a brand new Creighton roster extend the Bluejays' dominance?
Creighton Bluejays A Work In Progress
This is a completely new Creighton team, as it lost all five starters from last year's 22-9 team that reached its first Sweet 16 since 1974. The Bluejays lost more than 58 points per game and have just three core players returning from last year's roster.
Head coach Greg McDermott has built an offensive program around efficiency and 3-point production. However, early returns indicate this roster is very much a work in progress.
Creighton is shooting just 18.2% from 3, drastically below its usual efficiency. The Bluejays are shooting 68.5% from 2P, but that was against two substandard opponents in Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kennesaw State. This makes their poor 3-point shooting even more concerning.
The Bluejays have enjoyed strong point guard play from Marcus Zegarowski the past three seasons, and he limited their turnovers and was one of the few bright spots from the free throw line.
Last season, Creighton shot 64% from the charity stripe, ranking just 329th in the country. However, Zegarowki shot almost 80%, which masked the Bluejays' inefficiency late in games.
This season without the graduated Zegarowski, the Bluejays are shooting just 56.7% from the free throw line, while ranking 271st in offensive turnover percentage. They miss the consistency and leadership of Zegarowski.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Picking Up The Pace
Nebraska actually returns three starters from last year's team that recorded just three Big Ten wins after a brutal COVID pause. The Cornhuskers had the unenviable task of playing 12 games in the month of February after being forced to hit the pause button from January 10th through the end of that month.
Senior guard Alonzo Verge Jr. joins as a transfer from Arizona State, and along with the McGowens brothers, Bryce and Trey, forms the Cornhuskers' leading point producers.
The interior is manned by 6-foot-11 center Eduardo Andre, who made an immediate impact in his first game with Nebraska. He produced 11 points and seven rebounds in just 15 minutes against Sam Houston State.
Under head coach Fred Hoiberg, the Cornhuskers are actually trying to increase pace. They rank 24th in adjusted tempo, per KenPom, through two games and have balanced their offense with strong 3P defense. Nebraska is holding opponents to just 28.6% from 3 after only allowing 31.3% (top-50 nationally) last year.
Creighton vs. Nebraska Betting Pick
As a result of Creighton's recent dominance, Nebraska is favored by only three points. However, this is a very different Bluejays team, one with inexperience and a lack of an offensive identity.
I'm taking the Cornhuskers to easily cover this number, very reminiscent of their 2018 battle when Nebraska won 94-75. That came against a much better Creighton team and was Nebraska's only win in the past decade of this rivalry.
That trend changes on Tuesday night.
