Maryland vs. Nebraska Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Where Maryland gets at Nebraska: 26th at hitting chunk plays, against a unit 78th at keeping everything in front of them. Where Nebraska gets at Maryland: 36th at staying out of the backfield, against a unit 88th at stuffing runs at the line. Maryland is also 76th at staying out of the backfield, against a unit 115th.
How
MDattacks
NEB
- 1
Take shots
hitting chunk plays · projected
MD#26 of 138NEB#78 of 138 - 2
Expect clean run lanes
getting stopped at the line · projected
MD#76 of 138NEB#115 of 138 - 3
Trust the offense behind schedule
surviving second and twelve · projected
MD#77 of 138NEB#112 of 138
HowNEBattacksMD
- 1
Expect clean run lanes
getting stopped at the line · projected
NEB#36 of 138MD#88 of 138 - 2
Lean on the run
moving the ball on the ground · projected
NEB#42 of 138MD#83 of 138
The two teams
Maryland
Maryland throws it: Mike Locksley's offenses have been heavily pass-leaning across 6 seasons. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 22nd at keeping everything in front of them. The way in is 107th on first and second down.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (+1.0%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −21.9% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Maryland has not played an FBS opponent yet, so this is the projection: last season regressed toward the mean, plus returning production, recruiting, talent and whether the staff is the same one.
Projected strengths
- Defensehitting chunk plays#22projected
- Offensehitting chunk plays#26projected
Projected soft spots
- Offensefirst and second down#107projected
Nebraska
Nebraska is in year 4 under Matt Rhule, whose offenses have been balanced. The way in is 127th at defending the run, and they are 123rd at hitting chunk plays.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (+0.9%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −25.4% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Nebraska has played 2 games against an average slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected soft spots
- Defenserunning it#127projected
- Offensehitting chunk plays#123projected
- Defensethe push the line gets#122projected
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (NEB Elo 1592, MD Elo 1496 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects NEB -5.4 (63% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
MD31st61stNEBNEB35th10thMDThrough the air
MD26th55thNEBNEB43rd18thMDOn the ground
MD27th89thNEBNEB24th6thMDStaying on the field
MD22nd85thNEBNEB9th34thMDTaking care of it
MD1st88thNEBNEB1st14thMD
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profiles| MD | NEB | |
|---|---|---|
| +1.6 (#65) | CORE overall | +12.2 (#32) |
| -2 / -3 | offense / defense | +8 / -4 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Maryland vs. Nebraska?
Gridpex's model favors Nebraska with a 63% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Maryland vs. Nebraska?
The model projects Nebraska by 5.4.
What time is Maryland vs. Nebraska and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE).
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →