Nebraska vs. Cincinnati prediction, odds, time: 2025 college football Week 1 picks by expert on 12-2 run

The Nebraska Cornhuskers take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in a college football season opener on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. This will be Nebraska's 11th all-time game played in Kansas City. The Bearcats (5-7 in 2024), who tied for 11th at 3-6 in the Big 12 last season, did not play a neutral site game last year. The Cornhuskers (7-6 in 2024), who tied for 12th at 3-6 in the Big 10, were 1-0 at neutral sites.

Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET. Nebraska leads the all-time series 1-0, but the teams have not played since 1906. The Cornhuskers are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Cincinnati vs. Nebraska odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over-under for total points scored is 53. Before making any Nebraska vs. Cincinnati picks, make sure you check out what SportsLine expert, Matt Severance, has to say. New users can also target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets instantly plus over $200 off NFL Sunday Ticket:

Matt Severance is a well-connected writer and high-volume handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. He also has the pulse of Nebraska football. In his last 14 picks involving Nebraska, he is 12-2 (+1080). Anyone who has followed him could be way up.

Now, Severance has zoned in on Nebraska vs. Cincinnati. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several CFB odds and college football betting lines for Nebraska vs. Cincinnati:

Why Nebraska can cover

Sophomore Dylan Raiola returns at quarterback for the Cornhuskers. In 13 games last season, he completed 67.1% of his passes for 2,819 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In a 31-24 overtime loss to Illinois on Sept. 20, he completed 24 of 35 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He completed 28 of 38 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown in a 44-25 win over Wisconsin on Nov. 23.

Junior Emmett Johnson is Nebraska's top returning running back. He finished second on the team in rushing. In 12 games in 2024, he carried 117 times for 598 yards (5.1 average) and one touchdown. He also caught 39 passes for 286 yards (7.3 average) and two touchdowns. In the win over Wisconsin, he carried 16 times for 113 yards, and added six receptions for 85 yards. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why Cincinnati can cover

Returning for the Bearcats is redshirt junior quarterback Brendan Sorsby. In 12 games last season, Sorsby completed 64% of his passes for 2,813 yards and 18 touchdowns, with just seven interceptions for a rating of 136.4. He also rushed for 447 yards and nine touchdowns on 105 carries (4.3 average). He was the only FBS quarterback to register a 425-yard passing game (Texas Tech on Sept. 28) and a 125-yard rushing game (at Iowa State on Nov. 16) in 2024.

Evan Pryor is the Bearcats' top returning running back. The senior, who played two years at Ohio State, carried 56 times for 418 yards (7.5 average) and six touchdowns. Four of those touchdowns were for at least 55 yards or longer. He had five catches for 100 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception against West Virginia on Nov. 9. The 80-yard score was the longest play of the season for Cincinnati and was the team's longest pass play since 2021. See which team to back at SportsLine, and new users can also check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:

How to make Nebraska vs. Cincinnati picks

For Thursday's Nebraska vs. Cincinnati matchup, Severance is leaning under the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.

Who covers in Nebraska vs. Cincinnati and what critical x-factor do you need to know about? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nebraska vs. Cincinnati spread you need to jump, all from the expert who returned $1,080 to $100 players over his last 14 Nebraska picks, and find out.