Nebraska Basketball Favored in 5 of Final 7 Regular-Season Games

Being the No. 7 team in the country has its perks, but even more exciting than that is that the Huskers have a squad that has shown they can go toe-to-toe with anyone in America.

It's only backed up by the analytics as well. Regardless of where you look, the Big Red are almost unequivocally renowned as one of the best teams college basketball has to offer, and it doesn't seem as if that will change in the final month of the season, either.

Nebraska is 21-3 on the year and 10-3 in Big Ten play. Of the final seven regular-season games, four will be played at home. But even more exciting than that is that the Huskers will be favored in five of the final seven contests they play. Currently projected to finish at 26-5, the Big Red could be staring down the best season in program history. With that in mind, here's a look at who they'll have to take down to achieve it.

1. Nebraska vs Northwestern

Nick Martinelli (2) is currently averaging 22.7 points per game. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After Purdue comes a rematch between the Wildcats and Huskers, this time at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The first matchup, back on Jan. 17, saw the Big Red win 77-58. In that game, NU got a combined 42 points from the duo of Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager, and the team as a whole knocked down 11 three-pointers.

While the outcome of the first game doesn't make this upcoming one seem all that daunting, Northwestern does have one of the best scorers in all of college basketball on its team. Limiting what Nick Martinelli can do offensively will likely tell whether this game is another blowout or too close for comfort. Regardless, the Big Red are heavy favorites at home and should handle business.

2. Nebraska at Iowa

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) averages 19.9 points per game this season on 50.7% shooting. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The first of the final three road contests Nebraska will play is a trip to Iowa City to take on the 18-5 (8-4 Big Ten) Iowa Hawkeyes. For now, the Huskers' rival seems to be just on the outside of being ranked and should prove to be a more than capable adversary when they meet on Feb. 17.

The Big Red will have to pay close attention to senior guard Bennett Stirtz, who's a tenth of a point shy of averaging 20 per game. On the road at Carver-Hawkeye Arena marks the first contest in which Nebraska is not favored. Despite that, they'll have every opportunity to walk into the building as a top ten team, one that emerges victorious regardless of the odds.

3. Nebraska vs Penn State

Penn State has only won one game versus a Big Ten opponent this year. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

If they make it out of Iowa City unscathed, the Huskers will move to 23-3, assuming they win the game they are favored in prior to that. Of course, though, judging off of predictions, let's just say they are 22-4. They will next come home to welcome a Penn State squad that has underwhelmed this season.

Currently at 10-14 (1-12 in the Big Ten), the Nittany Lions have struggled mightily in conference play. The matchup will be one in which Nebraska is significantly favored, and ESPN Analytics gives the Huskers a more than convincing 95.0 % chance to win. Still, it won't be handed to them. Instead, they will have to earn it, just like everyone else.

4. Nebraska vs Maryland

David Coit (8) leads the Terrapins in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

At 9-14 (2-10 Big Ten), Maryland is having a disappointing season compared to past years. No longer do the Terrapins have star power along the likes of Derik Queen, but they still pose a threat, to say the least. Currently, only averaging 71.8 points per game as a team, if the Huskers are able to defend at a high level, this game should be won in a convincing fashion. Though once again, Nebraska will need to prove they are who they appear to be.

This matchup is set for Feb. 25 and will be the second-to-last home game NU will play during the 2025-26 season. With that in mind, they'll be expected to come out on top. Doing so will give them momentum before a two-game road trip out west to take on the pair of California schools in the Big Ten.

5. Nebraska at USC

Chad Baker-Mazara (4) is one of the most athletic scores in the Big Ten conference and averages 18.3 points per game. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Though the betting lines currently favor Nebraska in this matchup, USC is more than capable of proving people wrong. Currently at 18-6 (7-6 Big Ten), the Trojans could've just as easily won several games against teams in the upper half of the conference to this point. Most notably, USC lost 69-64 at home to Purdue and, more recently, suffered a one-point loss to the Hawkeyes on the road.

Chad Baker-Mazara, a 6-foot-7 wing for the Trojans, leads them in scoring at 18.3 per game, and USC as a team averages 81.3 per contest to this point in the year. Offensively, they've given teams fits, but where the Huskers separate themselves is on the defensive end. Nebraska has surrendered 9.2 fewer points per game than USC and will do well at continuing that when they meet later this month.

6. Nebraska at UCLA

Tyler Bilodeau (34) leads the Bruins in scoring and has helped them get to 17-7 (9-4 Big Ten) to this point in the year. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The second of two consecutive road games for NU is against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. Despite being 17-7, the Bruins currently hold a 9-4 record against the Big Ten. To this point in the year, they've suffered three losses to teams ranked within the top 25 when the games took place and beat a then-ranked No. 4 Purdue team at home.

Before this game takes place, UCLA will have a gruesome three-game stretch against top 10 teams, including matchups at No. 2 Michigan and No. 10 Michigan State, before hosting No. 8 Illinois. Their record will likely take a hit, though it would not be surprising if they manage to win one or more of those games. There's a reason Nebraska is a slight underdog as of Feb. 11, though the betting lines indicate a close matchup will ensue.

7. Nebraska vs Iowa

Iowa’s Tavion Banks (6) leads the Hawkeyes in rebounding with 4.4 per game. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Huskers' final regular-season game of the year is at home against rival Iowa, whom they would've already taken on once before March 8. Remembering back to the section covering the Feb. 17 matchup, it was one of two upcoming games in which Nebraska currently stands as the underdog. However, that is not the same the second time around.

At 8-4 in conference right now, the Hawkeyes have proved to be a team capable of providing fits for conference foes, but the home venue of Pinnacle Bank Arena appears to give the Big Red a massive advantage in the teams' second matchup of the year. NU is currently projected to win this game with a 70.8% confidence rating per ESPN Analytics and would head into the Big Ten tournament with at least a one-game win streak in hand.

Work to do. pic.twitter.com/z0Yj901e3Z
— Nebraska Men's Basketball (@HuskerMBB) February 9, 2026

While the likelihood of Nebraska's season unfolding exactly as things are currently projected is slim, it does serve as a reason for optimism heading into the team's final stretch. With seven games remaining before the postseason begins, the Huskers are predicted to finish the year with a 26-5 (15-5 Big Ten) record. It would mark the most wins any Nebraska team has seen in the Big Ten era and would set them up to earn at least a first-round bye in the conference tournament in early March.

Whether that's how it goes or not, for now, the Big Red are viewed as one of the best teams in the Big Ten, and consequently, the country. And the season to this point has shattered all expectations from a regular-season standpoint prior to the beginning of the year. The only thing left to do is finish on a high note, putting a stamp on one of the best seasons in program history, before attempting to become the first Nebraska team to win an NCAA Tournament game.

That is still what Hoiberg and company are chasing, at the end of the day. And even if their expectations may have risen after seeing this much success, this team will need to learn to walk before it can run. The ceiling for the Huskers has drastically soared above what even the most in-tune fans, media, and staff had imagined back in November of last year. But it would be all for naught if history is not made on college basketball's biggest stage.

A top two seed is still very much in play, and earning that would dramatically increase their chance at getting the job done in the tournament next month. Regardless, the program appears to be on the rise, but its biggest goal remains to be achieved. There's plenty of basketball left to be played, so expect this team to match its opportunity with urgency to round out the year.

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