Penn State vs. Rutgers Pick
Can Penn State get to .500 in the Big Ten and pick up a lopsided win at home when the Nittany Lions take on Rutgers at 4PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Penn State is favored today, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -8.5 points against Rutgers. The over/under total for the game is listed at 131.5 points. Today’s game takes place from Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania and will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Penn State is coming off an 82-79 upset win at Ohio State this week. The Nittany Lions are 14-8 overall, 4-5 in the Big Ten and 8-9-1 against the spread. PSU is averaging 77.1 points per game on offense this season while giving up 67.9 per game on defense. Tony Carr is leading Penn State with 19.4 points and 4.9 assists per game while Mike Watkins is adding 13 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest.
Rutgers has lost two straight, including a 60-54 loss at home to Nebraska earlier this week. The Scarlet Knights are 12-10 overall, 2-7 in the Big Ten and 8-6 against the spread. Rutgers is averaging 66.5 points per game on offense this year while giving up 63.2 per contest on defense. Rutgers will be without its fourth-leading scorer in Mike Williams (9.2 ppg) due to an ankle injury. Corey Sanders is leading the team with 14.2 points per contest while Deshawn Freeman is adding 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
Penn State has won three of the last four meetings with Rutgers, covering the spread in all three wins as well. The road team has won and covered in three straight as well, however. Both teams have struggled to cover in Big Ten play. Penn State has went to OT in its last two games at home and the Nittany Lions haven’t been able to string back-to-back wins together. Their last win streak was mid-December. Coming off an emotional win at Ohio State, I can see Penn State having a letdown today. The public betting is siding with Rutgers as well.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: RUTGERS +8.5