Nebraska Basketball heads to the Crisler Center at 20-0, 9-0 in the Big Ten, looking for the biggest win in their program's history. It isn’t a secret that the Huskers have been one of the worst Power Five programs in the history of the sport, but over the last three seasons, head coach Fred Hoiberg has taken them to uncharted waters, and nothing can compare to this season.
Nebraska is currently on a 24-game winning streak dating back to winning the College Basketball Crown tournament last season. The Huskers have passed every test put in front of them this season, including wins at Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan State in Lincoln. Michigan will pose the biggest test for Nebraska so far this season, but the same can be said of the Wolverines.
Michigan has been tested this year and has usually passed most of those tests with flying colors, given that it has won most of those games by 30-plus points. The large margin of victory has given Michigan a legit shot at the National Championship, and even though they lost to Wisconsin, the Wolverines are still the favorite to win the Big Ten. Michigan is 18-1 and 8-1 in the league, which means this game could be a de facto Big Ten title game.
Michigan vs Nebraska: When and Where
- Date: Tuesday, January 27th, 2026
- Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Location: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan vs Nebraska: How to Watch or Stream
- TV: Peacock
- Streaming: FuboTV
Michigan vs Nebraska: Betting Odds
- Spread: Michigan Wolverines - 10.5 | Nebraska Cornhuskers +10.5
- Moneyline: Michigan Wolverines -750, Nebraka Cornhuskers +475
- Total: 153.5
Michigan vs Nebraska: Series History
- All-time series: Michigan leads 23-5
- Last Meeting: Michigan defeated Nebraska 49-46 on February 24, 2025
Projected Starting Lineups
Nebraska Cornhuskers
#51 Rienk Mast- 14.6 PPG
# 9 Berke Buyuktuncel - 7.5 PPG
#21 Pryce Sandfort - 17.3 PPG
#10 Jamarques Lawrence - 10.3 PPG
#1 Sam Hoiberg - 9.0 PPG
Michigan Wolverines
#23 Yaxel Lendeborg- 14.4 PPG
#21 Morez Johnson Jr. - 13.7 PPG
#15 Aday Mara - 10.9 PPG
#3 Elliot Cadeau - 10.3 PPG
# 4 Nimari Burnett - 8.6 PPG
Outlook
This is going to be the first top-5 matchup in Nebraska history, and if Nebraska wins, it will take a herculean effort from the Huskers. Nebraska is going to need to hit threes at a high volume, and even then, it might not be enough. Michigan has one of the best defenses in the sport and is not going to make it easy for Nebraska to get off wide-open threes, and without star Freshman Braden Frager, the Huskers may have a tough time scoring from their bench.
There are some weaknesses here that both teams can exploit. Michigan has had an awful time defending shooting big men, and Nebraska has a shooting big man in Rienk Mast. The only problem is that Mast has not been great over the last couple of weeks, but it can go on a breakout at any time. Mast and his ability to hit shots will need to be excellent if Nebraska wants to pull off the upset. Michigan gets to the foul line often and has several big men who can get Nebraska into foul trouble. The Huskers being shorthanded really stretches their depth, and if Michigan can get them into foul trouble, that could swing the game towards the Wolverines. Nebraska doesn’t typically foul much.
The defenses are both among the best in the country, especially in the half-court. Nebraska will take the ball away and force turnovers. The Wolverines have had a turnover problem lately. Michigan will take away the paint and have shot blockers everywhere. Both defenses give up a lot of threes, and whoever makes the most threes is going to win this game. This one is going to be a battle, and the winner of the game is going to have a leg up on the top seed in the Big Ten and a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.