Nebraska finally got a win, breaking their six game losing streak, with an overtime win over Illinois in Lincoln. The Huskers got back to their identity on the defensive end and made it difficult for Illinois all night long. When the Huskers are defending they are tough to beat. The schedule gets no easier for the Huskers as they travel across the country to face the Oregon Ducks in Eugene. This will be their third-ranked opponent in their last 4 games.
The Ducks are fresh off two straight losses to UCLA and Minnesota. In their last game against UCLA, The Ducks couldn’t make a shot and looked out of sorts at both ends of the floor. This is the last home game that Oregon has before they go on their long road trip to the Midwest. The Ducks have been on a little slide and have realized life in the Big Ten is not as easy as it appeared in December.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers 13-8 (3-7) and the Oregon Ducks 16-5 (5-5) meet for the first time as members of the Big Ten. Both teams are desperate for a win for different reasons. The Huskers need to win to improve their Big Ten standings and hopefully qualify for the Big Ten tournament, The Huskers are still in the NCAA tournament picture and a win at Oregon would look excellent on their resume. Oregon needs to avoid losing to teams who are at the bottom of the Big Ten, especially if they want to avoid playing on the first day of the Big Ten tournament, and avoid an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA tournament.
How to watch Nebraska vs Oregon
- Date: Sunday, February 2
- Time: 6:30 PM CST
- Venue: Matthew Knight Arena
- How to Watch (TV): BTN
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Nebraska record: 13-8
- Oregon record: 16-5
Nebraska vs Oregon odds, spread, and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook - Oregon (-6)
Nebraska Injury Report
- None
Oregon Injury Report
- None
Oregon and Nebraska series history
- Oregon all-time record vs. Nebraska: 3-3
Nebraska vs Oregon Prediction
Nebraska heads to Eugene for their first cross country trip and is in desperate need of a road win in the Big Ten. In fact the Huskers are in desperate need of Big Ten wins as they are currently in danger of missing the Big Ten tournament. The recent win over Illinois broke a six game losing streak and in that game you could see the Huskers start to get back to what led to their 12-2 start with a win over Creighton in Omaha.
Brice Williams (18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists) and Juwan Gary (12.2 points, 4.9 rebounds) are the catalysts for Nebraska on both ends of the floor when they are playing well the rest of the team rallies behind them. The Huskers are at their best when they are getting downhill to the basket and getting to the free throw line. When they start settling for threes the game can unravel a bit for the Huskers. They have shot 100 less free throws on the road than they have at home this season.
Oregon is led by big man Nate Bittle (12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists), and guard Jackson Shelstad (12.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists) are the players who make Oregon go. Shelstad is one of the best shooters in the Big Ten, and given that Nebraska gives up a lot of threes on the defensive end, that could be good for Shelstad. Bittle is going to have his work cut out for him in the paint. The Huskers will double everything in the paint and force the pass to the open shooters. The Ducks big man is a good passer, but with the kind of pressure he will see, hopefully, he doesn’t turn it over. Bittle will be the biggest player on the floor most of the night.
Neither team guards the three point line particularly well, and teams have been shooting the lights out from deep against both Nebraska and Oregon. The transition game will be imperative for both teams. When the Huskers are locked in, they make it hard to score in the half-court. Oregon, when they are not giving up threes, will block shots. Nebraska can win this game, and given how Oregon has been playing, and with Nebraska finally getting a win, the Huskers just might steal one in Eugene for their second-ranked win this week.