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Nebraska (22-3) vs Iowa (18-7)
- When: Feb 17 2026, 9:00 PM
- Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Where to watch: BTN
(9) Nebraska vs Iowa Preview & Prediction
Spread: Iowa -1.5
Moneyline: Iowa (-125)
Total: 139.5
This Big Ten battle in Iowa City is priced tight for a reason. Iowa is favored slightly at home, but the value sits on the other side.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Preview
Nebraska enters at 22-3 overall and 11-3 in conference play. After a blazing 20-0 start, the Cornhuskers have cooled a bit, winning just two of their last five. They’re still averaging 79.4 points per game, but ball security has been shaky lately with 14 and 18 turnovers in back-to-back games.
Pryce Sandfort is the perimeter sniper who can swing this matchup. He’s knocked down 88 threes at a 40.2% clip and is closing in on the school single-season record. Against an Iowa defense that limits three-point attempts but has struggled overall defensively, Sandfort’s efficiency could be the X-factor.
Best Bet Prop: Pryce Sandfort Over 2.5 Made Threes
If Nebraska wins outright, it likely comes with Sandfort stretching the floor and punishing closeouts.
Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Preview
Iowa sits at 18-7 and 8-6 in league play but has dropped two straight, including a 78-57 home loss to Purdue that was 20 points below their season scoring average. The offense runs through Bennett Stirtz, who averages 20.4 points per game and shoots 40.3% from deep. In Big Ten play, he’s up to 23.3 points per night and rarely leaves the floor at 37.3 minutes per game.
Defensively, Iowa has slipped. Opponents have shot at least 46% in four straight games. They allow just 69.7 points per contest in conference play, but that’s more pace-driven than lockdown defense.
Best Bet Prop: Bennett Stirtz Over 20.5 Points
Nebraska will key on him, but volume and usage make Stirtz a strong scoring play.
Final Score & Expert Prediction
The number suggests a coin flip. Iowa’s defense is trending down, and Nebraska’s depth with five double-figure scorers gives them more balance.
At +105 on the moneyline, the value leans clearly toward the Cornhuskers.
Take Nebraska +105 and lean Under 139.5 in a slower-paced, physical Big Ten grind.
Final Score: Nebraska 71, Iowa 67
Lean: Nebraska ML (+105)
Total: Under 139.5
- NCAAB Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
