The Nebraska Cornhuskers take on the Maryland Terrapins in College Park, MD. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Maryland is favored by 8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -425. The total is set at 146.5 points.
Here are my Nebraska vs. Maryland predictions and college basketball picks for January 19, 2025.
Nebraska vs Maryland Prediction
My Pick: Under 146.5 (Play to 145)
My Nebraska vs Maryland best bet is on the under, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
Nebraska vs Maryland Odds
| Nebraska Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -108 | 146.5 -112 / -108 | +330 |
| Maryland Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -112 | 146.5 -112 / -108 | -425 |
- Nebraska vs Maryland spread: Maryland -8.5
- Nebraska vs Maryland over/under: 146.5 points
- Nebraska vs Maryland moneyline: Maryland -425, Nebraska +330
- Nebraska vs Maryland best bet: Under 146.5 (Play to 145)
Spread
I'm passing on the spread.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm projecting a rock fight and betting the under.
My Pick: Under 146.5 (Play to 145)
Nebraska vs Maryland College Basketball Betting Preview
I was shocked to see Nebraska lose outright at home to Rutgers. That was a killer spot for the Huskers, and they shot over 40% from 3 in an 82-point effort.
But they also allowed the Scarlet Knights to shoot 55% from the interior while winning the shot-volume battle, and Dylan Harper carved them up in ball screens.
I was less shocked to see Maryland drop a road game to Northwestern, given that it was a tough road matchup for the Terrapins.
However, this is a tough two-game scheduling stretch. Northwestern and Nebraska both run compact post-denial defenses that will challenge Maryland’s interior-based offense.
Maryland ranks 15th in the Big Ten in 3-point rate (per KenPom) and struggles with floor spacing and shooting. The team prefers to work the ball inside and let Derik Queen or Julian Reese finish it through rolling or posting actions.
But Nebraska packs it in even more than Northwestern does. The Cornhuskers allow the sixth-fewest post-up possessions per game nationally (1.8, per Synergy) while allowing the sixth-highest 3-point rate (50%, per KenPom).
Fred Hoiberg’s primary mission is to deny the post and paint entirely, so the Huskers only allow 25 paint points per game (94th percentile, per CBB Analytics).
Ja'Kobi Gillespie is an excellent ball-screen operator, and the Terps are efficient in their pick-and-roll actions. But the Cornhuskers’ ball-screen coverage is excellent (.78 PPP allowed, 89th percentile, per Synergy).
The best way to beat Nebraska’s paint-swarming defense is to be efficient in catch-and-shoot creation, which Maryland is not.
Even at home, I suspect Maryland will have a tough time running its offense, especially after playing a physical overtime battle on Thursday night.
On the other end of the court, Nebraska runs a dribble hand-off secondary-motion offense, which could be a problem against Maryland, considering the Terps allow the ninth-fewest dribble handoff points per game nationally (one at .4 PPP, per Synergy).
I also worry about the Nebraska offense in general, which seems to struggle when Brice Williams isn’t hitting tough shots.
He was excellent against Rutgers (21 points on 8-for-15 shooting), but he's put up a few road clunkers this year (nine points on 2-for-8 shooting at Purdue, 11 points on 2-for-7 shooting against Michigan State), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that happen in College Park on Sunday.
I think the schematic matchup favors both defenses, so I’m banking on a rock fight.
