Washington vs. Nebraska Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Use Code WWWC On Wednesday, the Washington Huskies will play the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a Big Ten basketball game, and we have you ready to go with our Washington vs. Nebraska prediction, odds, and preview. Tip-off from Lincoln, NE, is at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The Huskers are 11.5-point spread favorites, and the game total is 150.5 points scored.
The Cornhuskers beat the Huskies 86-72 last season in the first matchup between these new conference foes. If you want the Washington vs. Nebraska prediction, read on to get our top NCAAB predictions and increase your bankroll!
Washington plays sound perimeter defense
Washington (10-8 SU, 10-8 ATS, and 7-11 O/U) lost 80-63 to Michigan State in its last game, falling to 2-5 in conference play this season. The Huskies shot 47 percent from the field but attempted 12 fewer shots than the Spartans, who won the rebounding battle 39-28 with 13 offensive rebounds. The home team also committed seven more turnovers than the visitors and hit only three of their 19 three-pointers.
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Freshman forward Hannes Steinbach leads Washington in scoring, averaging 17.8 points per game on 55.1 percent shooting. He also collects 11.1 rebounds per game. A few other Huskies to watch on Wednesday against Nebraska are sophomore guard Zoom Diallo (15.1 PPG and 3.6 APG), sophomore guard Wesley Yates III (13.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG), and senior guard Quimari Peterson (9.7 PPG and 2.9 RPG).
The Huskies score 80.1 points per game (155th) on 45.1 percent shooting (200th), including 30.7 percent from three-point range (327th). Washington gives up 74.0 points per game (147th) on 43.2 percent shooting (155th), including 31.7 percent from beyond the arc (99th). KenPom ranks UW 52nd nationally, including 63rd in offensive efficiency rating and 57th in defensive efficiency rating.
Washington Huskies Injury Report:
- Senior guard Desmond Claude (13.3 PPG) has stepped away from the team amid his recovery from an injury.
Cornhuskers dominated in the last two games
Nebraska (18-0 SU, 11-7 ATS, and 6-12 O/U) beat Northwestern 77-58 in its last game, covering as 4.5-point road favorites. The Cornhuskers only led by five at the halftime break, but erupted for 43 second-half points. They shot 51 percent overall, hitting 11 threes, and scoring 15 fast-break points. The Wildcats committed six more turnovers than the Huskers and scored only three points in transition.
The Cornhuskers were picked to finish 14th (out of 18 teams) in the media's Big Ten preseason poll. Leading scorer Brice Williams is gone (20.4 PPG), along with three of last season's other five top scorers. That certainly hasn't stopped them from scoring plenty of points through the first 18 games, as head coach Fred Hoiberg (44-25 record in the previous two seasons) has assembled a talented squad. Nebraska averages 81.4 points per game (128th) on 47.4 percent shooting (77th), and its opponents score 65.3 points per game (18th) on 38.8 percent shooting (10th).
Iowa transfer forward Pryce Sandfort leads the Huskers in scoring, averaging 16.7 points on 47.7 percent shooting. A few other Nebraska players to watch against Illinois are senior forward Rienk Mast (15.1 PPG and 6.2 RPG), freshman forward Braden Frager (12.7 PPG and 4.1 RPG), and senior guard Jamarques Lawrence (10.1 PPG and 3.6 APG). The Cornhuskers rank 23rd in offensive efficiency and 12th in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Injury Report:
- No injuries to report.
Washington vs. Nebraska Pick and Preview
Spread Pick for Washington vs. Nebraska
- Huskies +11.5 (4 Units)
I like Washington's side ATS on Wednesday night in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are heavily reliant on the three-point shot (tenth-highest 3PT attempt rate), but could struggle against the UW perimeter defense. The Dawgs have defended the three-point line well enough overall and have held four of their last five opponents to 33 percent or lower, including Purdue in West Lafayette. The Cornhuskers shot lights out in their previous three games (43.8%), so they could be due for negative regression, and they have hit a lower percentage at home (33.5%) than on the road (38.8%) this season.
The Huskies were beaten up pretty good by Michigan State in their last game, but covered the spread in their previous three (at Purdue, vs. Ohio State, and vs. Michigan). They lost by ten or less in the ten previous games before the loss to MSU, too. Nebraska has looked comfortable in its last two games after a few close wins against Michigan State, Ohio State, and Indiana. I'm not sold they'll win by 12 or more on Wednesday, though.
Over/Under Pick for Washington vs. Nebraska
- Under 150.5 (4 Units)
Betting Trends: The under is 8-2 in Nebraska's last ten games and 7-3 in Washington's L10.
This total appears too high for this matchup, as I believe the Cornhuskers will go through some cold stretches from deep against the Huskies' solid perimeter defense. With the home team lukewarm offensively, the visitors will attempt to slow down the pace to keep the game competitive. Considering neither team allows its opponents to attempt many free throws, the game clock may run down for long stretches of action, too. Washington has avoided lopsided losses this season, losing by ten or fewer points in six of its eight defeats. If they're competitive enough to cover the spread, I don't envision the game total reaching 151 points.
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