NCAA Prediction: Nebraska Cornhuskers at Northwestern Wildcats
Thursday, February 02, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
The Nebraska Cornhuskers has had a full week to savor its first-ever Big Ten Conference road win, but if the Cornhuskers want to continue their rise up the conference standings, they will need to defeat another difficult opponent away from home on Thursday.
Nebraska secured just its fifth true road win since the end of the 2008-09 season last Thursday by surprising Iowa 79-73 behind a career-high 25 points from Brandon Richardson. Although the Huskers have only two ranked opponents remaining on their schedule, the challenges are far from over.
They begin a stretch of four games in 10 days in Evanston against a Northwestern Wildcats team that has lost three of their conference games by a combined five points but already has a home win against No. 10 Michigan State to their credit. Nebraska leads the all-time series 3-1 although the teams have not met since 1999.
- Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Northwestern Wildcats
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 2, 2012
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2; ESPN3.com
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Justbet Sportsbook currently have the Wildcats listed as 6½-point favorites versus the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-9): In the six games since Jorge Brian Diaz and Dylan Talley returned from injury, the Huskers have went 3-3 in conference play and seen significant increases in scoring (+15.5), field-goal percentage (+10 percent) and rebounding (+7.0) over their first three Big Ten losses. With a win on Thursday, the Huskers can win consecutive road games for the first time since the 2008-09 season and match the program's highest road victory total since going 6-6 away from the Devaney Center in 1998-99.
Northwestern Wildcats (12-8): Despite being the seventh-highest scoring team in the conference, the Wildcats feature two of the Big Ten's top three scorers in John Shurna (19.0 points per game) and Drew Crawford (17.2). Northwestern averages a conference-best 8.5 3-pointers and has shot above 40 percent behind the arc in seven of its last 14 games. However, during the Wildcats' current three-game losing streak, they have failed to hit that mark.
1. Northwestern is 8-1 this season when it hits at least nine 3-pointers.
2. Nebraska has shot at least 70 percent from the foul line in 15 of 20 contests and 80 percent or better seven times.
3. Shurna needs 50 points to pass Evan Eschmeyer for second place on the school’s all-time list and 145 points to become the Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer.
BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Wildcats 64, Cornhuskers 61.
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brandon richardson - brian diaz - drew crawford - dylan talley - evan eschmeyer - john shurna - nebraska cornhuskers - northwestern wildcats - welsh-ryan arena