It’s the second year of the Matt Rhule era in Lincoln and the Cornhuskers appear poised to start strong, led by a freshman phenom and a defense that returns eight starters. That freshman phenom is top QB recruit Dylan Raiola. The freshman has the Nebraska faithful as excited about the Cornhuskers as they’ve been in years.

UTEP will enter 2024 with a new head coach, Scotty Walden, after six seasons (five losing seasons) under Dana Dimel. Walden was at Austin Peay.

We have all the information and analysis you need ahead of the game, including the latest information on how to catch the first pitch, expected pitching matchups, lineups, recent team performances, player stats and of course our pre-game predictions, picks and best bets from our modeling tools and team of experts.

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Game Details and How to Watch Miners vs. Cornhuskers Saturday

● Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024
● Time: 3:30pm EST
● Location: Memorial Stadium
● City: Lincoln, NE
● TV/Streaming: FOX

UTEP vs. Nebraska Matchup Odds

● Moneyline: UTEP (+1600), Nebraska (-5000)
● Distribution: Corn on the cob -27.5
● Total: 49.5

*opportunities thanks to BettingMGM

NBC Sports Bet Best Bets

Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) Thinks Nebraska Will Cover the 27.5 Point Spread
“UTEP was terrible last season. They were terrible against the run, 129th to be exact, allowing over 222 rushing yards per game. Nebraska is good in the trenches and physically impressive when they run the ball.”

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) takes Nebraska 1Q -7.5
“I wouldn’t often take a -7.5 first quarter spread, but this is one at +125 or better, so this is one time I’d consider such a bet. This Cornhuskers team is getting better and under Matt Rhule this could be the best season they’ve had in recent memory. A fast start isn’t out of the question for Nebraska, the question is how long can UTEP hang in there with the Cornhuskers?

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From the trading desk on BettingMGM thanks to John Ewing:

Big Ten Conference Champion Futures
Favorites: Ohio State +150
Highest Ticket%: Penn State 33.7%
Highest Handle%: Ohio State 55.4%
Biggest Liability: Ohio State

Names to Know for UTEP vs. Nebraska

● Miners: QB Skylar Locklear – A reserve at Austin Peay last year who spent the previous two years in Walden’s system, Locklear beat out incumbent starter Cade McConnell for the job

· Corn on the cob: QB Dylan Raiola – The freshman finished high school with 88 touchdown passes and 8,595 passing yards. Oh, and he did it in three seasons as a starter

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Top Betting Trends and Insights to Know Ahead of Miners vs. Cornhuskers

● UTEP has had only one winning season since 2014, with its last bowl victory coming in 1967.

● Dylan Raiola originally committed to Georgia, but changed his commitment last winter and ultimately signed with his father’s alma mater

● Raiola is the 2^nd highest rated recruit in Nebraska history. He is their 1^st 5-star recruitment since 2010.

If you’re looking for more key trends and statistics on the spread, moneyline and total for every single match on today’s schedule, check out our College Football Top Trends Tool on NBC Sports!

Want even more college football best bets and predictions from our expert staff and tools? Check out the Expert Predictions for College American Football NBC Sports page for money line, spread and total predictions for each of the games on today’s schedule!

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– Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
– Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
– Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
– Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)