It is shaping up to be a game with massive ramifications for each school Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska when Bryce Underwood and the 24th-ranked Michigan Wolverines (2-0) take to the gridiron against Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0).
Should Michigan win, it will be the freshman Underwood’s first collegiate win on the road and Michigan’s path to the College Football Playoff will come into focus. Should Nebraska prevail, Matt Rhule’s reclamation of the Cornhuskers’ program will take a monster step forward and Nebraska faithful will have reason to believe the long-dormant program is returning to national prominence.
Lets dive into this Big Ten clash, learn about the teams, and possibly find a couple of sweats along the way.
Game Details and How to watch No. 24 Michigan at Nebraska
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Time: 3:30PM Eastern
Site: Memorial Stadium
City: Lincoln, NE
TV/Streaming: CBS
Game Odds for Michigan at Nebraska
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Michigan Wolverines (-125), Nebraska Cornhuskers (+105)
Spread: Michigan -2.5 (-112)
Total: 46.5 points
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the college football schedule!
Lets dive into this Big Ten and find a few bets for this blockbuster.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Head Coach: Matt Rhule
2025 Record: 3-0
Offense Ranking: 5th
Defense Ranking: 7th
Strength of Schedule: 8th
Through three games, Nebraska is off to a 3–0 start with a robust 41.0-point average margin of victory. The Cornhuskers own one of the nation’s most balanced profiles, ranking 9th in offensive success rate (57.3%), 6th in yards per play allowed (3.63), and 5th in adjusted scoring margin. Offensively, they’ve thrived with a 79.3% completion rate (1st nationally) and a 13.1 ANY/A mark (11th), while the defense has yielded a 27.8% passing success rate (11th) and ranks 1st in 20+ yard play rate (1.8%). This massive Big Ten showdown against Michigan will be the Cornhuskers’ first true litmus test and should make for quite a game in Lincoln.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers Offense
Nebraska’s offense ranks 9th nationally in success rate (57.3%) and is producing an efficient 7.50 yards per play (14th), driven by elite passing efficiency and third-down execution. Quarterbacks have completed 79.3% of passes (1st), averaging 13.1 adjusted net yards per attempt (11th) with a pinpoint 86.7% adjusted completion rate and zero interceptions through three games. Despite a slow tempo (73rd in seconds per play), Nebraska maximizes possessions by averaging 3.83 points per drive (16th) and 45.9-yards per drive (13th), making them one of the most efficient units in the country.
Nebraska Cornhusker to Watch on Offense: QB Dylan Raiola
The sophomore quarterback has been outstanding through three starts, completing 76.6% of his passes for 829 yards, 8 touchdowns, and no interceptions while averaging 11.5 yards per completion. His 60.2% success rate and 10.3 ANY/A demonstrate impressive efficiency, especially considering he’s taken sacks on just 3.1% of dropbacks despite a 23.1% pressure rate. Raiola has elevated his play in year two with a Total QBR of 82.4 and has shown poise as a rhythm passer with an elite 8.3 yards per dropback. Though used sparingly on the ground, he converted 66.7% of his six rush attempts into successful plays, offering just enough mobility to keep defenses honest.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers Defense
Nebraska’s defense has been dominant through three games, ranking 6th in yards per play allowed (3.63) and 8th in points per drive (0.71), while also holding opponents to a nation-best 1.8% rate of plays gaining 20+ yards. They’ve excelled in passing defense, giving up just 2.9 yards per dropback (2nd), with a -0.45 EPA/dropback (2nd), 50% completion rate (7th), and a 0.0% explosive pass rate—first nationally. On third downs, the unit has allowed conversions just 21.1% of the time (6th), with a 0.0% success rate on 3rd-and-long attempts, showcasing excellent situational discipline. The Huskers’ aggressive man-heavy scheme (9th in man-zone ratio) has fueled a Top 25 QBR allowed (30.6) and havoc rate (19.2%), with especially strong play from the defensive backfield (8.4% DB havoc, 13th).
Nebraska Cornhusker to Watch on Defense: DE Williams Nwaneri
The freshman defensive end has been a steady contributor across three games, logging 7 total tackles with a perfect 100% tackle rate. He’s been particularly effective against the run, with 85.7% of his tackles coming on rushing plays and maintaining gap integrity on the edge. As a pass rusher, Nwaneri has registered 4 pressures on 32 rushes (12.5% pressure rate), with 5 total first pressures and a strong 2.33-second average time to pressure. While he has yet to record a sack, his presence is already forcing quarterbacks to react quickly and change their launch points.
Michigan Wolverines
Head Coach: Sherrone Moore
2025 Record: 2-1
Offense Ranking: 46th
Defense Ranking: 4th
Strength of Schedule: 26th
Through their first three games of 2025, Michigan posted a 2–1 record with dominant wins over New Mexico and Central Michigan sandwiched around a disappointing road loss at Oklahoma. The Wolverines handled business in their opener with a 34–17 win, though they underperformed SP+ projections offensively by 14.0 points. In Week 2, Michigan was outclassed 24–13 by a Top 10 Sooners team, managing just a 7% postgame win expectancy while being held 5.3 points below SP+ expectations. They now face a legitimate Big Ten contender in Nebraska and will need to secure a victory to keep their Playoff hopes alive.
The Michigan Wolverines Offense
Michigan’s offense has been a boom-or-bust unit through three games, ranking 46th in offensive SP+ while averaging 6.81 yards per play (31st nationally). The Wolverines are highly explosive, ranking 20th in rate of 20+ yard plays (9.0%) and 33rd in yards per successful play (13.1), but they struggle on passing downs, where their success rate ranks just 74th. Their rushing attack has been a strength, generating 6.4 yards per carry (17th) with a low 11.2% stuff rate (11th), powered by excellent run-blocking and efficiency on standard downs. However, quarterback play has been inconsistent, with a 112th-ranked completion percentage (57.5%) and an overreliance on checkdowns (20.0% of passes at or behind the line of scrimmage ranks 108th), limiting the offense’s overall consistency.
Michigan Wolverine to Watch on Defense: QB Bryce Underwood
The freshman quarterback has flashed dual-threat upside while starting all three games for Michigan, throwing for 628 yards and a 2-to-1 ratio with a scorching 13.7 yards per completion and 8.1 adjusted net yards per attempt (ANY/A). Despite a modest 57.5% completion rate, he’s been effective pushing the ball downfield and ranks highly in Total QBR (75.7), benefiting from a low 3.6% sack rate and respectable 44.7% success rate. On the ground, Underwood has contributed 118 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 carries (10.73 YPC), with a stellar 63.6% rushing success rate and 54.5% first down rate. His explosiveness and efficiency as a runner are evident in his 42.9% rate of 10+ yard runs, making him a dynamic centerpiece of the Wolverines’ 2025 offense.
The Michigan Wolverines Defense
Michigan’s defense has been elite to start 2025, ranking 4th nationally in SP+ and allowing just 4.01 yards per play (19th) and 1.19 points per drive (33rd). The Wolverines boast one of the best run defenses in the country, surrendering only 3.1 yards per carry (14th), with a 20th-ranked rushing success rate allowed (31.9%) and a strong 36th-ranked stuff rate (23.4%). Pass defense has been equally formidable, holding opponents to 4.6 yards per dropback (31st) and a middling 40.0% success rate (72nd), while generating a 14th-ranked interception rate (4.9%) and 22nd-ranked pressure rate (34.5%). Michigan’s back seven thrives on disruption, ranking Top 30 in havoc rate at all three levels and Top 25 in pass deflections per incompletion (36.8%), despite rarely blitzing (28th in blitz rate).
Michigan Wolverine to Watch on Defense: LB Ernest Hausmann
Through two games, the inside linebacker has been Michigan’s most active tackler, racking up 23 total stops with an 85.2% tackle rate and a 69.6% run tackle share. Despite his high volume, Hausmann has yet to log a Havoc play—no tackles for loss, sacks, pass breakups, or forced turnovers—suggesting a focus on containment over disruption. He has flashed efficiency as a blitzer, generating 3 pressures on just 11 rush attempts (27.3% pressure rate) with a quick 2.43-second time to pressure.
Michigan Wolverines at Nebraska Cornhuskers team stats, betting trends
Michigan is 4-1 in its last 5 games
Nebraska has covered the Spread in its last 4 game at home
5 of Nebraska’s last 7 home games have gone over the Total
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Eric Froton (@CFFroton): WR Dane Key Over 45.5 Receiving Yards
Nebraska is quietly throwing at a dizzying rate, ranking 120th in standard downs run rate (47.2%) and 81st in passing downs run rate (32.2%). Dylan Raiola is throwing 40% of his passes to outside receivers (43rd in FBS) with WR Dane Key having cleared 50+ yards in 2-of-3 games and against Cincinnati in a tight 20-17 victory over the Bearcats. I think Nebraska will be in a throw script and will have trouble running on a stout Michigan front, so I’m taking the Over 45.5 Receiving Yards on Dane Key.
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Best bets our model is projecting for this week’s game between Michigan and Nebraska:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at +2.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 46.5.
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