How to watch Nebraska vs. Northwestern: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds

This game had all the makings to be the Big Ten West’s game of the year heading into last weekend ... until Northwestern went ahead and lost to Minnesota. While this game will still go a long way in deciding the division, the Wildcats’ loss to the Gophers takes them out of the driver’s seat to win the West, and it makes Nebraska the favorite for now.

The truth is, there are five teams — Northwestern, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa — that could all win the division. This game should tell us more about that race than any other game until November. The Wildcats have had an up-and-down season so far, losing two games to start the season, but rebounding by beating Penn State and Wisconsin. The loss to Minnesota illustrated NU’s offensive problems, but this team has the defense to stay in games.

Meanwhile, Nebraska has been tough to figure out, as well. The Huskers have by far the best offense in the division, and they have a pretty solid defense, but they nearly lost to McNeese State earlier in the year and they struggled to get anything going offensively until the fourth quarter against Michigan State. Can they play better against another good defense? We’ll learn a lot on Saturday in Evanston

Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: BTN

Radio: Husker Sports Network, Northwestern: 720 AM WGN, 87.7 FM The Game in Chicagoland

Online streaming: BTN2GO

Rankings and records: Northwestern is 3-3 (2-1, Big Ten) while Nebraska is 5-1 (1-1). The Huskers are ranked 19th in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. The Wildcats are unranked.

Vegas: Nebraska opened as a 6.5-point favorite and is now a 7-point favorite. The over/under is 51 points.

Weather forecast: 50s and dry.

Northwestern will have no margin of error in the division race if it loses this game. A win would make the Wildcats the Big Ten West favorites.

Nebraska would be the favorite to win the division with a win here. A loss gives the Huskers no margin for error, with Iowa and Wisconsin still on the schedule.

Northwestern offense vs. Nebraska defense: Nebraska is going to get some points, as Tommy Armstrong is the best quarterback in the Big Ten West and Ameer Abdullah is a star at running back, but the Northwestern defense should be good enough to keep the Wildcats in the game. The biggest question is whether Pat Fitzgerald’s team can score. The offense has struggled this season, particularly in the passing game, and it will need to have its best game of the season to win this one. Star true freshman running back Justin Jackson, who had back-to-back 100-yard games against the solid front sevens of Wisconsin and Minnesota, will need to have another impressive performance.

Read InsideNU for more on Northwestern and Corn Nation for more on Nebraska.