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Nebraska Outlasts Purdue In Big Ten-Style Football

· Oct 26 - 4 minutes read

Teams closer to the bottom of the Big Ten standings, Purdue (2- 5, 1-3) and Nebraska (4-3, 2-2), match up this weekend. Despite where the teams are within the standings, this game could be an excellent option for NCAAF free picks and parlays.

The Boilermakers had last week off, but in their most recent game, they were routed by Ohio State, 41-7. Last week, the Cornhuskers got their second win in conference play, beating Northwestern 17-8..

Nebraska Outlasts Purdue In Big Ten-Style Football

Purdue Tries To Bounce Back

There has not been much to be excited about Purdue, which was painfully made clear in the last game against Ohio State. Sure, the Boilermakers played one of the top teams in the nation, but the College Football spread was set at 17 points, which they did not get close to covering.

Defensively, Purdue could do nothing to slow Ohio State. The Boilermakers allowed 486 yards, 334 through the air, and 152 on the ground. The one positive is that they held Ohio State to 3.9 yards per carry and forced two fumbles. In order for Purdue to succeed, it will have to slow Nebraska’s running game. However, the Boilermakers do give up 153.6 rushing yards per game.

On offense, it might be more challenging. Quarterback Hudson Card struggled, completing 13 of 32 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State. At least Card didn’t throw an interception, but he will face another top-notch defense this week.

However, Devin Mockobee did have a strong game running the ball, 110 yards on 18 attempts. But, any successful drive ended with a missed field goal, with kicker Julio Macias missing all three of his attempts. It is hard for College Football lines to have faith in Purdue after that dismal performance at home.

Nebraska: Old-School Football

In a vacuum, Nebraska’s offense might not be much better than Purdue’s, but the team does have an identity. The Cornhuskers play an old-school style of football, leaning on the running game and waiting for their defense to make a big play. That was put on full display against Northwestern.

TOUCHDOWN @HuskerFootball 🔥

What a connection between Heinrich Haarberg and Malachi Coleman! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/s2FSW1gqVZ

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 21, 2023

Against Northwestern, Nebraska managed 248 yards, rushing for 163 and 85 through the air. Quarterback Heinrich Haarberg had a tough game throwing the ball, passing for 85 yards, completing 8 of 17 passes, with a touchdown but two interceptions. However, his running is what could shift College Football odds for the Cornhuskers. He carried the ball 16 times for 72 yards and scored.

Haarberg was not the only one to have success running the ball, with Emmett Johnson gaining 73 yards with 6.1 per carry. The combination of the two has led to the top rushing offense in the Big Ten, averaging 195.1 yards per game.

The Cornhuskers also shined on the defensive side of the ball. They only had one interception in last week’s game but finished with eight sacks, headlined by Nash Hutmacher, who had 2 1/2. Nebraska is allowing the fifth-fewest yards in the Big Ten per game (313.6), making it a key reason why College Football betting could side with it for this game.

Purdue vs Nebraska Betting Lines

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Purdue vs Nebraska Best Bet

Given how Purdue played in its last game, that might make it simple for College Football picks against the spread. While Nebraka’s offense is far from good, it at least has a reliable running game and a top-notch defense that can control the game.

College football Best Bet: Nebraska -2½ -115

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Purdue vs Nebraska Game Information

Game: Purdue (2-5) vs Nebraska (4-3)
Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Day/Time: Saturday, Oct. 28, 3:30 p.m. ET
Purdue vs Nebraska Live Stream: ESPN

Questions Of The Day

Which player is the most likely to have the most receiving yards in the game?

It is hard to pick a Nebraska player, given how bad its passing game has been recently. Despite Purdue’s not being much better, Deion Burks is the leading receiver on the team.

Which player is the most likely to have the most passing yards in the game?

While neither team will pass the ball a lot, Purdue has at least tried more in recent weeks, which should lead Hudson Card to leading this game in passing yards.