The best part of the college basketball season has finally arrived — the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. Sixty-four teams begin the arduous journey to Indianapolis, and helping start us off are the Troy Trojans (22-11) taking on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (26-6).
As 13.5-point favorites on PrizePicks Team Picks, Nebraska enters as a substantial favorite to advance to the second round. Can the Trojans play spoiler and pull off the first upset of March? Tip-off is at 12:40 p.m. ET on Thursday from Oklahoma City, OK, live on truTV.
Who may have an advantage for Thursday’s Troy vs. Nebraska pick against the spread? Use PrizePicks Team Picks to make predictions on game winners, spreads, over/unders, and more.
New users on PrizePicks can start the 2026 NCAA Tournament with $50 in Lineups instantly after playing $5+ — win or lose! Just sign up with promo code PLAYBOOK and you’re good to go.
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Troy vs. Nebraska Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Regardless of how today’s game goes, it's been an incredibly successful season for the Troy Trojans. They had the best record in the Sun Belt Conference and won the outright championship for the second year in a row.
Troy is led by a duo of juniors who have both played their entire careers there. F Victor Valdes and F Thomas Dowd both average 14.8 points per game. Valdes chips in 4.0 nightly rebounds and 4.6 assists, while Dowd averaged a double-double with 10.1 RPG.
Nebraska is no longer just a football school. Not even ranked in the preseason AP top 25 poll, this Cornhuskers team came out of nowhere to become the No. 15 team in the country. They finished 15-5 in conference play, tied for the second-best record in an incredibly competitive Big Ten.
They’ve done it this season through an intriguing blend of defense and 3-point shooting. Their top five players in minutes all shoot at least 32.4% from deep, while four of them shoot above 34.8%.
Nebraska couples this shooting with elite defense, ranking seventh in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to Bart Torvik.
🔥 Get College Basketball Predictions and Picks from the experts for the NCAA Tournament
Troy vs. Nebraska Spread, Over/Under
The Cornhuskers enter Thursday’s game as 13.5-point favorites, returning a 1.08x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Trojans are the underdogs with a 6.66x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Nebraska Cornhuskers -13.5 (1.96x payout)
- Over/Under: 137.5 (1.78x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Trojans 6.66x | Cornhuskers 1.08x
Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
Troy vs. Nebraska State Prediction on Spread – 3/19/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Troy vs. Nebraska prediction on the spread for Thursday, March 19, on PrizePicks.
- Nebraska ended the regular season 17-14-1 (54.8%) against the spread (ATS), the fourth-best cover percentage in the Big Ten.
- According to KenPom, there's a 24.39-point difference in net rating between these two teams, with Nebraska at +26.15 and Troy at +1.79.
- Nebraska is ranked eleventh nationally in 3-point rate at 50.1%, while Troy sits 148th in 3-point rate defended at 38.4%.
- While Troy's 45.6% 3-point rate is 54th, Nebraska is an elite 3-point defense, holding opponents to a miniscule 29.9% shooting percentage from deep. That's the seventh-best mark in the country.
- This game may come down to 3-point variance, and the numbers drastically favor the Cornhuskers in that respect.
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Make Troy vs. Nebraska Picks on PrizePicks
Can Nebraska continue its surprise season with a first-round victory, or will Troy avenge their 19-point loss to Kentucky in last year’s NCAA Tournament with a huge upset to kick off March?
You can make your Troy vs. Nebraska picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to 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 35 states.
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