Troy Trojans vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Thursday, 03/19/26

The Troy Trojans and the Nebraska Cornhuskers will meet on Thursday for round one of the NCAA Tournament. It will be the second game to tip off in this year’s tournament, and we could see the first upset early in the big dance. Troy is a 13-point underdog in this game but will be a trendy upset pick in the round of 64. Nebraska started the season 20-0 but has finished the season going just 6-6. The Cornhuskers will look to win their first NCAA Tournament game in program history, but I expect that the Trojans will keep this one close.

My best bet of the game is Troy +13. 13 feels like too many points for a team that played well against high level opponents this year. Troy beat San Diego State earlier in the season and lost to USC in triple overtime. They beat tournament teams Akron and Furman as well, so will not be shocked by Nebraska’s talent. Nebraska’s offense has not been good recently, so I do not expect Nebraska to overpower Troy offensively. Since February 1^st, the Cornhuskers offense is ranked #132 in adjusted offensively efficiency. Combine that with the slow pace of play expected in this one, I see Troy keeping it within the number.

*Troy +13 available at time of publishing. Playable at +10*