Northwestern vs. Penn State Pick
Will Northwestern avoid another loss on the road when the Wildcats take on Penn State tonight at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Penn State is favored at home, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -6.5 points against Northwestern. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 139.5 points. Tonight’s game will take place from Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania and air live on FS1.
Northwestern has lost two of its last three, including a 70-55 loss at home to Nebraska. The Wildcats are now 10-6 overall, 1-2 in the Big Ten and 5-8 against the spread. Northwestern has failed to cover in three of its last four lined games. The Wildcats are averaging 74.4 points per game on offense while allowing 68.3 per contest on defense. Scottie Lindsey is averaging 14.6 points per game to lead the team while Bryant McIntosh is adding 13.3 points and 5.5 assists per game. McIntosh is questionable for tonight’s contest due to a knee injury.
Penn State has also lost two of its last three games following a 75-69 loss at Maryland earlier this week. The Nittany Lions are now 11-5 overall, 1-2 in the Big Ten and 6-5-1 against the spread. They have failed to cover in their last two lined games. Penn State is averaging 77.8 points per game on offense this year while allowing 64.9 per game on defense. Tony Carr is averaging 18.7 points and 4.8 assists per game to lead Penn State while Lamar Stevens is adding 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Bet on Northwestern vs. Penn State
The road team has won seven of the last eight meetings between these two and Northwestern has covered the spread in three of the last four encounters. However, the injury to McIntosh could be an issue tonight. Northwestern hasn’t been able to build off the momentum it created last year while Penn State seems to be pushing to replace it. The Nittany Lions could be a surprise contender for the NCAA Tournament. The public betting is slight with Northwestern, but I like Penn State to cover at home.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: PENN STATE -6.5