Nebraska puts its spotless 2025-26 record on the line in Minneapolis as a 19-0 start will be put to the test in an early tip in one of the Big Ten’s trickiest gyms. Minnesota has slipped to 10-9 after a tough stretch, but Williams Arena has a habit of creating close games and the potential for an upset is certainly present here. Before tip-off from the home of the Golden Gophers, keep reading to get my Nebraska vs Minnesota prediction.
Our Nebraska vs Minnesota Pick
Pick: Nebraska -5.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 4/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
Date & Time: Saturday, January 24, 12:01 PM ET
Venue: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Broadcast: FS1
Key Storylines
Nebraska enters 19-0 and 8-0 in Big Ten play with multiple double-digit league wins and recent blowouts over Oregon and Northwestern. The Cornhuskers have passed road tests against teams like Oregon and Indiana and they will try to pass another test away from Lincoln in this game against Minnesota.
Minnesota sits 10-9 and 3-5 in league games after four straight setbacks, including two that slipped away in overtime. The Golden Gophers have failed to score over 75 points over their last five games and they will need to be better offensively if they want to hand Nebraska their first loss of this season.
Star power is present on both sides of this game. Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort leads the Cornhuskers at 17.0 points per game and Sam Hoiberg directs their offense with 4.0 assists per game. Minnesota leans on Cade Tyson at 20.5 points per game, with Isaac Asuma giving them 4.3 assists per contest and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson at 6.8 boards per game.
So far this year, the Cornhuskers have done a phenomenal job of dealing with the pressure that has come with putting together a perfect start to their season. That might not last, but the Cornhuskers have shown no signs of buckling under the pressure of expectations that continue to grow with each win that they collect.
Betting Trends
Nebraska is 11-7-1 against the spread going into this matchup.
Minnesota is 8-10-1 against the spread so far this season.
The under is 13-6 in games involving the Cornhuskers this year.
Minnesota has seen 11 of its first 19 games stay under their totals.
Nebraska vs Minnesota Model Projection
Score Projection: Nebraska 74 – Minnesota 66
Win Probability: Nebraska 71%, Minnesota 29%
Final Thoughts
Nebraska is playing better basketball on both ends of the floor, getting quality shot creation from Pryce Sandfort. Minnesota’s building has provided them with a legitimate home-court advantage at times, but the Gophers’ recent slide and reliance on one primary scorer create thin margins for them. I recommend laying the points with the Golden Gophers here, as they should overcome another tough place to play to get a 20th win in a row to start the year.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
Affiliate Disclosure
ATS.io uses affiliate links. If you sign up through a link on this page, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Rankings are based on hands-on testing and published criteria, and affiliate relationships do not determine placement.
