Opening Line: Indiana Favored Against Nebraska in Week 8

With both teams coming off a bye week, Indiana is favored over Nebraska ahead of Saturday's sold out homecoming game at Memorial Stadium.
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Myles Price (4) celebrates after defeating Maryland at Memorial  Stadium.
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Myles Price (4) celebrates after defeating Maryland at Memorial Stadium. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
In this story:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – In a highly anticipated homecoming matchup, oddsmakers give Indiana a slight edge over Nebraska.

Indiana opened as a 4-point favorite, and the line has moved to 6.5 points in the Hoosiers' favor as of Saturday morning on the FanDuel Sportsbook. Indiana has minus-215 moneyline odds, and Nebraska is a plus-176 underdog on the moneyline. The over/under is 48.5 points.

Kickoff between the Hoosiers and Cornhuskers is scheduled for Noon ET on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Indiana has reported its first sellout crowd of the season for this game. The game will be broadcast o FOX.

Indiana football against the spread in 2024

  • Week 1: Indiana did not cover a 25.5-point spread as favorites in its 31-7 win at home against Florida International. The game went under 52 points.
  • Week 2: Indiana covered a 44.5-point spread as favorites in its 77-3 win at home against Western Illinois. The game went over 54.5 points.
  • Week 3: Indiana covered a 4-point spread as favorites in its 42-13 win at UCLA. The game went over 46.5 points.
  • Week 4: Indiana covered a 28.5-point spread as a favorite in its 52-14 win at home against Charlotte. The game went over 51 points.
  • Week 5: Indiana covered a 7.5-point spread as a favorite in its 42-28 win at home against Maryland. The game went over 50.5 points.
  • Week 6: Indiana covered a 13-point spread as a favorite in its 41-24 win at Northwestern. The game went over 40 points.
  • Week 7: Bye

Indiana moved up two spots to No. 16 in Sunday's AP Top 25 poll despite having the weekend off. Nebraska fell two spots shy of the top 25 after receiving 62 points this week.

In their first year under coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers one of three Big Ten teams with a 6-0 record overall and a 3-0 record in conference play, along with No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State. Indiana has defeated Northwestern, Maryland and UCLA to stay perfect in Big Ten play.

On the other side, Nebraska travels to Bloomington with a 5-1 overall record and a 2-1 record against Big Ten opponents. Prior to their bye week, the Cornhuskers most recently won 14-7 at home against Rutgers. They also have wins over UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa and Purdue.

Nebraska's lone loss of the season came on Sept. 20 at home against Illinois, falling 31-24 in overtime.

In its second season under coach Matt Rhule, Nebraska has already matched last season's win total of 5-7. The Cornhuskers start true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who has thrown for 1,358 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Nebraska's defense ranks seventh in the nation with just 11.3 points allowed per game and 13th with 272.5 yards allowed per game.

FOX's Big Noon Kickoff pregame show will be in Bloomington on Saturday, and it's scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in the south end zone plaza outside of Memorial Stadium.

Related stories on Indiana football

  • AP TOP 25 POLL: Coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers had the weekend off, but they climbed two spots to No. 16 in Sunday's AP Top 25 poll ahead of their homecoming game against Nebraska. CLICK HERE
  • NEBRASKA GAME SOLD OUT: Indiana announced that its Homecoming game against Nebraska on Oct. 19 is sold out. CLICK HERE.
  • BRING COLLEGE GAMEDAY TO BLOOMINGTON: Todd Golden thinks the Hoosiers have earned it and that it would be great to bring former Indiana coach Lee Corso back to Bloomington. CLICK HERE.
  • HOW INDIANA AND THE REST OF THE BIG TEN SCHEDULES COMPARE: How does Indiana's remaining slate matchup with its Big Ten rivals? CLICK HERE.
  • HOOSIERS ON SI REVISITS PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: Look back on what Jack Ankony and Todd Golden got right and what they got wrong before the season began. CLICK HERE.
  • CIGNETTI LEANS ON GROUP OF FIVE TALENT TO WIN: Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti has leaned into Group Of Five transfers to form his core and it has paid off. CLICK HERE.

Published |Modified
Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.