Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Penn State Nittany Lions NCAAB Betting Prediction

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Penn State Prediction 2/4/2025

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-11) travel to face off against the Penn State Nittany Lions (13-9) on Tuesday, February 4th. This game will be played at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park and televised on BTN. Both Minnesota and Penn State will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Penn State Nittany Lions

The Golden Gophers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Minnesota Golden Gophers Recent Game/Games

The Golden Gophers dropped to 11-11 on the season after a 71-68 home loss to Washington on Saturday. Minnesota entered the game as 4-point favorites but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 139, surpassing the O/U line of 134.5.

Minnesota trailed 40-30 at halftime but made a push in the 2nd half, outscoring Washington 38-31. However, their comeback fell short, and they couldn’t close the gap completely.

The Nittany Lions Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Penn State Nittany Lions Recent Game/Games

Penn State’s season record dropped to 13-9 after an 83-64 loss to Ohio State on Thursday. The Nittany Lions, who were -3.5 point favorites at home, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 147, just under the O/U line of 147.5.

Penn State trailed 43-33 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap, scoring 31 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. The loss raises questions about their ability to bounce back as the season progresses.

Golden Gophers Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Minnesota’s offense put up 68 points, shooting 52.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 59.1%. They connected on 60.7% of their two-point attempts and hit 37.5% from beyond the arc, going 6-for-16 from three-point range.

Dawson Garcia and Tyler Harris both shot 9-for-12, with Garcia adding 28 points and 4 assists, while Harris went 4-for-4 from three, finishing with 23 points. The Gophers dished out 17 assists as a team, and hit 16 of 24 free throws, shooting 66.7% from the line.

Nittany Lions Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Penn State’s offense put up 64 points, shooting 45.7% from the field. They connected on 55.6% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 31.6% of their threes. Their effective field goal percentage was 52.2%.

At the free-throw line, the Nittany Lions shot 55.2%, making 16 of 29 attempts. They grabbed just 4 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists. Yanic Konan Niederhauser led the way with 21 points, while John Mobley Jr. added 19 points and 8 assists, and Bruce Thornton contributed 17 points, hitting 5 of 7 from three-point range.

Golden Gophers Team Defense

Despite Minnesota’s defense giving up 71 points, they struggled to contain their opponent’s offense, which shot 52% from the field. The Golden Gophers allowed 60% shooting on two-point attempts, with their opponent hitting 17 of 28 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Minnesota’s defense gave up 6 threes on 16 attempts, a 37% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 16 free throws, shooting 66%. The Golden Gophers limited second-chance opportunities, allowing just 5 offensive rebounds.

Nittany Lions Team Defense

Despite Minnesota’s defensive struggles, they allowed 71 points on 52% shooting from the field. The Golden Gophers gave up 60% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 17 of their 28 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Minnesota’s defense allowed 6 threes on 16 attempts, a 37% shooting rate. The Golden Gophers also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 16 free throws for 66%. Minnesota limited the damage on the boards, giving up just 5 offensive rebounds.

Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions Trends

  • Minnesota has a 1-2 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 64 points per game while allowing 72. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
  • In their last three home games, Penn State has averaged 77 points per game while allowing 80. The team’s record in this stretch was 0-3 while going 3-0.
  • The Golden Gophers have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
  • As the betting favorite, the Nittany Lions have an ATS mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Penn State posted a straight up mark of 8-2 in these matchups.

Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions Prediction

For a pick on the point-spread in this Nittany Lions vs. Golden Gophers matchup, our bet is to grab the Golden Gophers at +8. Even though our projections have the Nittany Lions winning 76-70, we see the Golden Gophers as the play on the point-spread.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 141.5, and our model predicts the Golden Gophers and Nittany Lions to score a combined 146 points. We recommend betting on the over.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.