2024 NCAAF Cheat Sheet: Nebraska Stats & Odds
The 2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers Stats Need to Show Offensive Improvement
How Quickly Can Former NFL Head Coach Matt Rhule Make Nebraska Relevant Again?
- Nebraska was 3-2 outright as a favorite during the 2023 season but just 2-5 as the underdog. The Cornhuskers covered in just one of their five games as the favorite and had a 1-3 mark as the home favorite.
Nebraska was 2-1-1 ATS as the road underdog. Keep that in mind when looking at the 2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers stats.
Just two of Nebraska’s six games following a loss during the 2023 season finished over the total, and that is one trend to consider when the season gets underway.
Since the start of the 2020 season, the only Big Ten college football team that had fewer games land under the total than Nebraska was Iowa.
At A Glance Nebraska Cornhuskers
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| Championship | +15000 | +20000 |
| Conference | +6000 | +5000 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 7.5 (o -129, u- +102) | 7.5 (o -129, u- +102) |
| To Make Playoffs | Yes N/A, No N/A | +850 |
Nebraska Nabs a Huge Recruit
Perhaps there will come a time when having a former NFL head coach at the helm of the Nebraska program will impact the quality and quantity of the transfers.
However, Nebraska’s class of incoming transfers is only ranked 14th among Big Ten programs. Wake Forest receiver Jahmal Banks, Oregon running back Dante Dowdell, Saint Francis cornerback Blye Hill, and Texas receiver Isaiah Neyor are the top-rated transfers for Nebraska.
Four of the top five outgoing transfers come on the defensive side of the ball so that could be an issue this season and might show up in the 2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers stats.
Nebraska’s class of incoming freshmen was ranked 23rd. Much of that ranking is a result of quarterback Dylan Raiola de-committed from Georgia to sign with Nebraska after he initially committed to Ohio State. Offensive tackle Grant Brix is another key recruit.
Nebraska football gets a boost with the addition of Isaiah Neyor, a former Wyoming star and Texas transfer. Neyor joins QB Dylan Raiola and RB Dante Dowdell as potential impact players for the Huskers in 2024. #NCAAF #Huskers #TransferPortal pic.twitter.com/9Z1mkJtX8v
— Global Alert Sports (@galertsports) January 6, 2024
Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg led Nebraska in rushing a season ago despite playing in just nine games so that will need to change.
Championship Odds: No Sign of Mike Rozier, Turner Gill or Irving Fryar
Nebraska’s national profile has taken quite a bit in recent years. It was not unusual for Nebraska to be ranked in the top 10 in the national polls heading in the bowl season in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Nebraska has been ranked outside the top 20 in its last six bowl appearances.
It has been nearly a decade since Nebraska won a bowl game and that happened with a 37-29 win over UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl.
The most recent bowl matchup that had an impact on crowning a CFP national champion came in 2002 when Nebraska was overwhelmed by top-ranked Miami in the Rose Bowl.
At this point, just making it into a bowl game should be the goal.
Conference Odds: Cornhuskers Have Work To Do
When looking at the 2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers stats, keep in mind that Nebraska averaged 14.2 points in the six losses and lost its last four games so it is clear which side of the ball needs to step up.
Nebraska finished fifth in the Big Ten in total defense and many of the top tacklers return so this has the potential to be a solid defense once again.
Nebraska has a chance to get off to a solid start in conference play with the first four Big Ten games coming against Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers, and Indiana.
However, the degree of difficulty will pick up after that beginning with a trip to Columbus to meet an Ohio State team that is challenging Georgia as the national title favorite. That is followed by matchups with UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin before the annual regular-season finale versus Iowa.
A .500 finish in the Big Ten would be a step in the right direction.
Regular Season Wins: Taking Nebraska to Go Over 7.5 Wins A Bit Risky
The NCAA football odds have Nebraska as a 28-point favorite against UTEP in the Aug. 31 season opener and Nebraska could be a heavy favorite against Northern Iowa as well.
In between is a matchup with Colorado. If the Cornhuskers manage to silence Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, a 3-0 start could give Nebraska some confidence heading into conference play.
Nebraska needs to pick up some wins early in the Big Ten because the second half of the schedule is not pretty.
A quick peek at the NCAA football stats from 2023 shows that just four teams from the power conferences averaged fewer points against Football Bowl Subdivision teams than Nebraska’s 18 points per contest.
Looking for Nebraska to win eight times in the regular season is a little on the ambitious side so going with the Cornhuskers to go under could be the way to go.
To Make Playoffs: We Don’t Think So
Even with the College Football Playoff expanding from four to 12 teams, it feels like Nebraska is years away from being a contender to make it into the College Football Playoffs.
Three of the eight teams with the shortest odds to win the national title hail from the Big Ten. Although Nebraska doesn’t play either Michigan or Oregon during the regular season, it is hard to see Nebraska being much more than a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten.
Six Big Ten teams have shorter odds to win the conference title so with some others that could finish ahead of Nebraska in the Big Ten NCAAF standings so being in the conversation for a CFP spot could be wishful thinking for Nebraska fans as only the most loyal of Cornhuskers faithful would take a look at the odds of making the playoffs when it comes to the NCAAF picks today.
Side Bets
- Nebraska has lost its last four NCAAF season openers. Those games all came against Big Ten teams. Nebraska to cover as 28-point favorites at home versus UTEP is worth considering as is the 50.5-point total for the game.
There’s not going to be much in the way of Heisman Trophy odds for Nebraska players heading into the season.
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
