At this late stage in the college basketball regular season, every single moment carries plenty of importance. There aren’t many greater examples of that than Sunday’s clash between Iowa and Nebraska.
With the Hawkeyes looking to cap off their NCAA Tournament case with an upset and the Cornhuskers looking to get back on track following a loss, Sunday’s 5:00 p.m. tip on FOX is a must-watch.
Below, we’ll break down our Iowa vs. Nebraska prediction and picks for Sunday’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Iowa vs. Nebraska Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
In head coach Ben McCollum’s first year at the helm, Iowa is 20-10, a three-win improvement over Fran McCaffrey’s final campaign already. With that said, the Hawkeyes are just 2-5 over their last seven outings and desperately need a win to right the ship.
Speaking of which, Nebraska recently suffered a 20-point blowout defeat at the hands of UCLA on March 3. Despite that, Fred Hoiberg’s crew is 25-5 on the year and peaked as high as fifth in the AP poll.
Since 1949, Iowa and Nebraska have met on the hardwood 32 times. The Hawkeyes own a 21-11 series lead, including an average scoring margin of +6.8 points.
Iowa vs. Nebraska Spread, Over/Under
Iowa enters Sunday’s game as 5.5-point road underdogs, returning a 3.03x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Nebraska is a home favorite with a 1.36x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Spread: Nebraska Cornhuskers -5.5
- Over/Under: 135.5
- Game Winner Payout: Hawkeyes 3.03x | Cornhuskers 1.36x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Iowa vs. Nebraska Prediction on Spread
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Iowa vs. Nebraska prediction on spread for Sunday, March 8 on PrizePicks.
- Despite their overall success, Nebraska is just 7-9-1 against the spread as home favorites. Iowa, meanwhile, is 3-2 ATS as road underdogs.
- Iowa took down Nebraska, 57-52, back on February 17.
- Iowa’s offense generates tremendous looks, boasting the 18th-ranked efficiency by points per shot (1.196) and the 21st-ranked mark by effective field goal percentage (56.3).
- Defensively, only nine programs surrender fewer points each contest than the Hawkeyes at 65.2. Their slow pace plays a role in low-scoring affairs.
- Nebraska ranks 110th in scoring (77.7 PPG) but is 22nd in 2-point efficiency (58.2%) and 67th at the free throw line (75.6%).
- On the other end of the court, the Cornhuskers hold foes to a minuscule 29.6% from deep, the ninth-lowest 3-point mark in the nation.
Iowa vs. Nebraska Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/8/26
Here are three top Iowa vs. Nebraska picks to target for Sunday, March 8 on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by G Bennett Stirtz, F Pryce Sandfort, and F Rienk Mast.
Iowa G Bennett Stirtz vs. Nebraska Projection: 28.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- On the year, Stirtz averages 27.4 combined points, rebounds, and assists (PRA). In conference play, that number is 28.8.
- Stirtz cans 50.3% of his field goals, 37.8% of his 3-point tries, and 84.6% of his free throws in Big Ten outings, good for a 63.1 true shooting percentage.
- In this season’s prior clash with the Cornhuskers, the Missouri native went for 29 PRA.
- Nebraska’s defense ranks 105th in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.080.
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Nebraska F Pryce Sandfort vs. Iowa Projection: 22.5 Pts + Rebs
- In his junior campaign, Sandfort pours in 22.8 points and rebounds each night. That register is up to 24.0 in conference play.
- Sandfort is one of college basketball’s premier shooters. He’s taking 8.9 3-pointers per game, making a sparkling 40.4% of them.
- Iowa’s slow pace could impact Sandfort’s opportunities to score, but they rank 226th in eFG% allowed at 52.2.
- The 6-foot-6 forward’s 13.8% defensive rebounding rate and 8.3% total rebounding rate are both career-high thresholds.
Nebraska F Rienk Mast vs. Iowa Projection: 17.5 Pts + Rebs
- Mast’s per-game average of points and rebounds sits at 19.6. In conference play, however, it’s down to 17.6.
- The 24-year-old is struggling from deep, shooting 28.0%. Per CBB Shot Charts, he makes 44% of his tries from the left wing, but Iowa yields a 29% clip on them.
- In February 17’s meeting with Iowa, Mast had 16 points and rebounds while shooting 4-of-10 from the field.
- Per Bart Torvik, 222 other players can match Mast’s height (6-foot-10) and usage (26.4%). He’s 86th in defensive rebounding rate (14.3%).
Make Iowa vs. #9 Nebraska Picks on PrizePicks
Iowa vs. Nebraska picks are just one of many ways hoops fans can get in on the daily college basketball action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
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