Ricky Dimon
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The 2022 college football season begins on Saturday – not just in the United States, but around the world. Yes, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Northwestern Wildcats are squaring off in Dublin, Ireland. This Big Ten contest is kicking off at 12:30 pm ET and will be televised on FOX. Below is our same game parlay for the matchup, and also be sure to check out our full Nebraska-Northwestern preview in addition to all of our NCAAF previews.
Northwestern Wildcats +11.5 (-108)
Ryan Hilinski Over 157.5 passing yards (-112)
Rahmir Johnson Over 49.5 rushing yards (-112)
Parlay odds: +588
Part of the value in same game parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is some of the plan here, as Ryan Hilinski throwing for a decent amount of yards would obviously work well with a Northwestern cover. At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That is the case with backing Nebraska running back Rahmir Johnson to find success on the ground, but even if that happens, there is no reason why the Wildcats can’t be competitive. Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
Northwestern Wildcats +11.5 (-108)
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost is already on the hot seat following last year’s disappointing campaign in which took all nine of its losses by single digits. Casey Thompson takes over at QB for Nebraska, which should be an upgrade, but the Cornhuskers are still far from an offensive juggernaut. Yes, they blew out the Wildcats in 2021, but a lot of travel and an entirely new environment should level the playing field. Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald isn’t going to let his squad get humiliated again. Frost is 8-15 ATS as a favorite during his tenure in Lincoln. The ‘Huskers may win, but the ‘Cats should cover.
Ryan Hilinski Over 157.5 passing yards (-112)
Hilinski was an occasional starter for Northwestern last year after transferring from South Carolina. The Orange, Calif. native threw for at least 256 yards in two of the last four games, so he ended the 2021 campaign on a relatively high note. Even though the ‘Cats scored only seven points against the ‘Huskers, Hilinski still soared past the 200-yard mark through the air. There is no reason why he can’t surpass 157.5 this time around.
Rahmir Johnson Over 49.5 rushing yards (-112)
This doesn’t necessarily go against our Northwestern pick. After all, 49.5 isn’t a huge number. Moreover, if Nebraska keeps the ball on the ground – which it often does – then the clock will be moving. That naturally leads to a lower-scoring affair, which in turn generally results in a more competitive margin on the scoreboard. The Wildcats don’t have to be spectacular to cover an 11.5 number…and they probably won’t be in the department of run defense. Johnson was Nebraska’s top running back last year with 495 yards and he exceeded this 49.5 number on six occasions. Against Northwestern, he churned out 74 yards to go along with two touchdowns on 12 carries.
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