Prediction: Nebraska Cornhuskers VS Cincinnati Bearcats 2025-08-28
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats: A Tale of Two Programs (and One Very Confident Travis Kelce)
Let’s cut to the chase: Nebraska is favored to win this neutral-site opener, and the odds aren’t just reflecting that—they’re yelling it. DraftKings has the Cornhuskers at 1.35 (implied probability: 55.1%), while Cincinnati’s long shot sits at 3.3 (23.5%). To put that in layman’s terms, it’s like betting on a trained penguin to outswim a goldfish. The spread is Nebraska -7.0, and the total is 53.5, with the under getting a nudge from oddsmakers. Let’s break this down with the precision of a quarterback who actually knows how to throw a baseball.
Parsing the Odds: Why Nebraska is the Statistical Choice
Nebraska’s defense held eight of nine opponents under 28 points last season, while Cincinnati’s defense… well, they gave up nearly 30 points per game. If defenses were restaurants, Nebraska would be a Michelin-starred bistro, and Cincinnati would be that one place that “accidentally” leaves hot sauce in your water.
Offensively, Nebraska’s new-look attack under coordinator Dana Holgorsen is expected to be a rocket ship. Sophomore QB Dylan Raiola has “NFL-caliber arm strength” (translation: he doesn’t throw like a confused toddler) and a supporting cast that includes Kentucky transfer Dane Key and speedsters Nyziah Hunter and Jacori Barney Jr. Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s offense is a jigsaw puzzle missing half its pieces. Their rebuilt receiver corps lacks chemistry (think of it as a group project in chaos), and QB Brendan Sorsby, who had 18 TDs and 9 rushing TDs last year, “struggled under pressure.” Translation: He’s a guy who’d trip over his own shoelaces during a 3rd-and-17.
The spread of -7.0 for Nebraska feels about right. After all, the Cornhuskers’ ground game, led by Emmett Johnson, adds a reliable dimension that Cincinnati’s porous defense can’t handle. And let’s not forget: Nebraska’s D just added transfer defensive end Williams Nwaneri. He’s the kind of player who makes you say, “Oh, so that’s why they didn’t draft a quarterback this year.”
Digesting the News: Kelce’s Confidence, Bearcats’ Desperation
Travis Kelce, that most reliable of sources, said he’s “100%” attending this game in a full Cincinnati jersey, claiming his Bearcats will “come through.” For context, Kelce also once threw a ceremonial first pitch that went viral for being so off-target, it could’ve been used to launch a satellite. But hey, confidence is free, and the man’s due for a bet win.
Cincinnati’s problems? They’re as deep as Scott Satterfield’s need for a new head-coaching résumé. The Bearcats’ defense is a sieve that would make a cheesecloth weep, and their offense is a group of actors in a movie where the script got lost in the mail. Oh, and key player Brendan Sorsby “struggled under pressure.” If pressure were a person, Sorsby would’ve just handed him a white flag and a Gatorade cooler.
Nebraska, meanwhile, is riding high on a 7-6 season that ended with a bowl win. Their defense is a well-oiled machine (or a well-polished flywall, as one might say), and their offense is finally breaking free of the “grind-it-out” era. With Raiola’s arm and Holgorsen’s playcalling, they’re primed to light up Arrowhead Stadium’s scoreboard like a Christmas tree.
The Verdict: Why Nebraska is Your New BFF
Let’s get absurd for a second: Imagine Cincinnati’s defense as a team of overconfident magicians. They promise to make points disappear, but instead, they just let them teleport right into the end zone. Nebraska’s offense? That’s the guy who walks in, steals the magicians’ scripts, and performs the trick correctly.
The under 53.5 total also makes sense. Both teams’ offenses are… developing. Nebraska’s D will stifle Cincinnati’s QB, and Nebraska’s offense won’t need to score 50 points to win. It’s the football equivalent of a “low-scoring thriller” where the most exciting moment is a Hail Mary that hits a referee in the face.
Final Prediction
Nebraska by 10, with the under cashing in.
Why? Because the math says so, the matchups say so, and even Travis Kelce—despite his questionable pitching form—says so. Cincinnati’s only chance is if Sorsby suddenly learns how to read defenses and the universe decides to grant Kelce’s bet-winning curse. Until then, the Cornhuskers are the pick.
As the great Joe Burrow once said (while missing a baseball target): “Thank you, Travis. Thank you.” We’ll take our chances with Nebraska.
Created: Aug. 26, 2025, 4:34 p.m. GMT