#5 Vanderbilt vs. #4 Nebraska Prediction & Picks (South Region Round of 32): Will the Huskers Make More History in OKC?

After winning an NCAA tournament game for the first time in school history, is a first trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the horizon for Nebraska? To book a ticket to Houston and a potential South Region semifinal matchup with top seed Florida, the Cornhuskers must survive a stiff challenge from fifth-seeded Vanderbilt, who is looking to reach the second week of March Madness for the first time since 2007.

With Thursday's 76-47 win over 13-seed Troy, Nebraska reached uncharted territory on two fronts. One, the Huskers set a new single-season school record for wins with 27. And after going one-and-done in their first eight NCAA tournament trips, the Huskers finally got the win column in the Big Dance.

How much further can they go? Next up is today's meeting with Vanderbilt, who moved on to the second round for the first time since 2012 with a 78-68 win over McNeese. Like the Huskers, the Commodores secured a record-breaking 27th win with their victory over the Cowboys.

This profiles as one of the most intriguing matchups in the second round, both in a competitive and historical context.

Historically, neither program has experienced a wealth of success. But they have been two of the top teams in the country this season and excelled in the two toughest conferences in college basketball. Nebraska tied for second in the Big Ten, while Vanderbilt tied for fourth in the SEC and reached the championship game of the conference tournament.

This sets up a compelling contest and one that could go down to the wire in Oklahoma City. Bart Torvik's projections for today forecast a one-point game, while Lucky Rebel and other top online sportsbooks have set one of the closest spreads for the 16 Round of 32 games for this matchup.

Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska TLDR

It's tough to pick between two of this season's most impressive teams. But I like Vandy's makeup and resume just a bit more here. Take the Commodores to cover, with an extra sprinkle on the over for their team total.

Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska Matchup Information

• Matchup: #5 Vanderbilt vs. #4 Nebraska (2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament South Region Second Round)
• Location (Venue): Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Paycom Center)
• Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska Odds

Odds are from Lucky Rebel as of Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 12:50 p.m. ET.

Tale of the Tape: Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska

Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska Prediction and Analysis

Whether it's the Commodores or Cornhuskers who advance will depend on whose defense puts in the superior showing.

Vanderbilt has to contend with the prolific Pryce Sandfort, who was 7 of 12 from three against Troy and enters the round of 32 in the top five nationally in made threes per game (3.6).

However, the onus is more on Nebraska, given the numbers that Vanderbilt has put up this season.

Against McNeese, Vandy shot 51% from the field but scored well below its season average. After scoring only 75 points against Arkansas in an SEC tournament final loss, that marked the first time this season that the Commodores were held under 80 points in consecutive games.

Nebraska can certainly win if this one hits the 80s for both teams, but can the Huskers keep the Dores under 80 for a third straight game?

Nebraska is first in the Big Ten in defending the three and actually bettered its season average against Troy, who made only 8 of 28 (28.6%) from outside.

Top Players for Nebraska

• Pryce Sandfort: 18.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.0 APG
• Rienk Mast: 13.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.0 APG
• Braden Frager: 11.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG
• Jamarques Lawrence: 9.8 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.5 RPG

That was part of an all-around outstanding defensive effort against the Trojans, who made as many free throws (13, in 14 attempts) as field goals (13, in 46 attempts).

That was a mighty impressive result, especially as Troy, who won at San Diego State in the regular season, was picked over Nebraska in nearly two million ESPN brackets.

But today's matchup against Vanderbilt represents a much, much more arduous assignment.

The two Tylers make a lot of things happen for the Commodores, but the Huskers must also contend with Duke Miles and three other players who come close to averaging double figures in McGlockton, AK Okereke, and Jalen Washington.

Top Players for Vanderbilt

• Tyler Tanner: 19.3 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.7 RPG, 2.3 SPG
• Duke Miles: 16.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.1 RPG, 2.7 SPG
• Tyler Nickel: 13.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG
• Devin McGlockton: 9.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG

That said, Nebraska is certainly equipped to tackle that task. You don't finish second in the Big Ten by accident.

Ultimately, picking tight matchups like this one largely comes down to who you personally feel more confident in. For me, that's Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska Picks

Vanderbilt -1.5 (-114 at Lucky Rebel)

Vandy Team Total Over 74.5 (-108 at Lucky Rebel)

Both of these teams are tried and tested against tough competition, but what tips the scales for me here is what each team has done against that competition.

Nebraska owns wins over Illinois and Michigan State but only three other three other wins over NCAA tournament teams not including Thursday's win over Troy. Not including that win over the Trojans, the Huskers are 5-6 against March Madness participants.

Vanderbilt, meanwhile, entered the tournament with 11 such wins. And while there's an argument that Nebraska's top two wins (at Illinois and at home against Michigan State) outweigh Vandy's top two wins (at home against Alabama and against Florida in the SEC tournament), the Commodores are 11-7 against NCAA tournament teams not including Thursday's win over McNeese.

Also, while there's a good chance that Vandy scores under 80 points for a third straight game for the first time this season, the team total can't be passed up here. Even if Nebraska does a solid job defensively, 75 is a very reasonable and reachable target.

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Check Out the Other March Madness Content from Betting News

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