The top of the Big Ten is loaded with eight teams sitting at 8-4 or better heading into Tuesday.
Nebraska (21-2, 10-2 Big Ten) returns home to battle Purdue (19-4, 9-3 Big Ten) with both teams coming off victories on Saturday.
The Cornhuskers escaped past Rutgers, 80-68, while the Boilermakers survived a scare against Oregon, 68-64.
Let’s look at the Purdue vs. Nebraska spread prediction for Tuesday’s tilt at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1.
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Purdue vs. Nebraska Prediction, Spread
The Boilermakers humiliated the Huskers last season, 104-68 in West Lafayette as 8.5-point favorites. Purdue shot a scorching 63% from the floor and knocked down 19-of-33 attempts from 3-point land.
Head coach Matt Painter’s team is 5-1 in the past six matchups since 2021. However, the Huskers tripped up the Boilermakers in Purdue’s last visit to Lincoln, an 88-72 upset in 2024.
Purdue vs. Nebraska Over/Under, Spread
The Cornhuskers enter this matchup as 1.5-point favorites, returning a 1.66x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Boilermakers are road underdogs with a 2.12x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Nebraska -1.5
- Over/Under: 148.5
- Game Winner Payout: Purdue 2.12x | Nebraska 1.66x
(Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change)
Purdue vs. Nebraska Numbers to Know
Here are some stats to know to get you set for Purdue vs. Nebraska tonight, including insights on our Purdue vs. Nebraska prediction.
- The Boilermakers have stumbled to a 1-8 against the spread (ATS) mark in the last nine games.
- Oregon nearly upset Purdue as 18.5-point underdogs, as the Boilermakers fell to 1-4 ATS the past five as a double-digit favorite.
- The Boilermakers are an underdog for the first time since knocking off Alabama, 87-80 on November 13.
- Nebraska owns a 12-1 home mark, coming off its first loss in Lincoln in a 78-69 setback to Illinois on February 1.
- The Cornhuskers get to the free throw line at the lowest rate among any team in Big Ten play (19.0%). Purdue ranks second in defensive FT rate at 27.7%, so don’t expect many trips to the charity stripe for Nebraska.
- Both teams sit in the top-three in conference 3-point shooting. Nebraska ranks first at 38.2% and Purdue is two spots behind at 37%.
- Nebraska hit the under in six straight games prior to the over against Rutgers.
- The Boilermakers are 3-1 to the under in the past four road contests.
- Purdue owns the third-worst defensive 2-point percentage in conference play, allowing 56.1%.
- Nebraska shot at least 57% on 2-pointers in six of the last seven games. Their worst performance was shooting 41.7% against Illinois, but they converted 15-of-35 from deep.
Purdue vs. Nebraska CBB Player Picks
Here are three top Purdue vs. Nebraska picks to target on Tuesday. Key PrizePicks player projections are headlined by three players: Nebraska F Pryce Sandfort, Purdue G Braden Smith, and Cornhuskers F Rienk Mast.
Nebraska F Pryce Sandfort vs. Purdue Projection: 16.5 Points
- The former Iowa standout averages a team-high 17.1 points per game (PPG).
- Last season, he was held to 7 points against Purdue in 25 minutes, even though he drilled 3-of-4 shots.
- The junior produced five consecutive 20+ scoring efforts before getting held to 14 points by Illinois and 15 points against Rutgers.
- Sandfort ranks first in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game (3.5) and rides an 11-game streak of hitting at least 3 treys.
Purdue G Braden Smith vs. Nebraska Projection: 15.5 Points
- The senior averages 15.2 PPG, while playing in each of Purdue’s 133 games the last four seasons.
- Smith hasn’t gone consecutive games scoring fewer than 16 points since early January. Oregon limited him to 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
- In last season’s rout of Nebraska, the Indiana native scored 8 points and dished out 14 assists.
- In six conference road games, Smith puts up 16.1 PPG, including 19 points at Maryland on February 1.
Nebraska F Rienk Mast vs. Purdue Projection: 19.5 Pts+Rebs
- Mast busted out of a five-game scoring slump (7.8 PPG) to dominate Rutgers with 26 points and 8 rebounds.
- The senior snapped a seven-game streak of fewer than 19 points and rebounds.
- The former Bradley standout averages a career-best 14.7 PPG. However, he is posting 11.4 PPG in the past 11 contests.
- Since hitting 6 shots from downtown against Michigan State on January 2, Mast has made only 7-of-37 attempts from 3-point range.
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Make Purdue vs. Nebraska Picks on CBB on PrizePicks
It’s a huge battle in Lincoln tonight as Nebraska can pull into a second-place tie in the Big Ten with Illinois. The Huskers beat the Boilermakers in their last home matchup — can Nebraska pull off that feat again?
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There are hundreds of player stat projections on the CBB board for every game; just pick at least two player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks. Or, make your picks on winners, spreads, and over/unders on Team Picks, now available in 34 states!
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