The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-6) travel to face off against the Michigan State Spartans (8-5) on Thursday, January 4th. This game will be played at Breslin Center in East Lansing and televised on PEAC. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Michigan State Spartans
The Penn State Nittany Lions Are Coming Off A Win
Penn State comes into their game against Michigan State with a 7-6 record for the season. In their previous five road games, including those from last year, Penn State has yet to win, going 0-5. As of now, Penn State sits with a subpar ATS record of 5-8. In their last ten games this season, Penn State has gone 3-2 vs. the spread.
Penn State’s games have, on average, featured 147.8 points per game leading to an over/under record of 7-5-1. Their average over/under line is currently 142.9 points so far. When analyzing the Nittany Lions’ last five games, they have produced a combined average of 152 points per game and an over/under record of 4-1.
The Michigan State Spartans Are Coming Off A Win
Michigan State enters today’s game with a record of 8-5. In away games, the Spartans have a 0-1 record this season while they are 8-4 at home. Michigan State has a current ATS record of 7-6 heading into today’s game. Over their last five games, the team is 4-1 vs. the spread.
Michigan State’s games have, on average, featured 141.8 points per game leading to an over/under record of 6-7-0. Their average over/under line is currently 143 points so far. Over the course of the last five games, the Spartans’ games have averaged 150 points per game, along with an over/under record of 5-0.
Penn State Offense Breakdown
The Penn State offense is coming off a game in which they scored 90 points vs. Rider. Overall their field goal percentage was 54.5% while connecting on 7 threes. Offensively, the Nittany Lions hold a season-long field goal percentage of 43%, placing them 242nd in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 295th in terms of percentage and 132nd in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanye Clary (G) | 18.2 | 3.3 | 2.8 |
| Adrian Baldwin Jr (G) | 13.6 | 1.8 | 4.5 |
| Qudus Wahab (F) | 9.9 | 8.8 | 0.6 |
Michigan State Offense Breakdown
The Michigan State offense is coming off a game where they scored 87 points against Indiana State. They posted a field goal percentage of 47.5% and connected on 6 threes. In terms of offense, the Spartans have a season-long field goal percentage of 47%, putting them 69th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 195th in percentage and 277th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Walker (G) | 20.0 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| A.J Hoggard (G) | 11.3 | 3.2 | 5.0 |
| Jaden Akins (G) | 10.6 | 4.3 | 1.1 |
Penn State Team Defense
The Nittany Lions’ defense is presently ranked 127th nationally, allowing an average of 70.3 points per contest. Penn State’s three-point defense is currently 53rd in the country at 5.7 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 43.0% of their shots vs. Penn State.
Michigan State Team Defense
In the current season, the Michigan State defense has excelled, sitting 42nd in the nation by allowing 64.5 points per game. The Michigan State defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 75 points and allowed Indiana State to connect on 6 threes.
Nittany Lions vs Spartans Trends
- Across the Nittany Lions last ten road games, the team averaged 73 points per game while allowing 75. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-3-1, while going 4-6 straight-up.
- In their last three games at home, the Spartans have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 77 points per game in these contests.
- The last ten games that Penn State was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 7-2-1 while going 5-5 straight up.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Spartans have a straight up record of 7-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.
Nittany Lions vs Spartans Prediction
In this Spartans vs. Spartans matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Spartans at -13. While we project the Spartans to win 75-69, our recommendation is to bet on the Nittany Lions for the point-spread.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 144.5, and our model projects the Nittany Lions and Spartans to reach a combined total of 144 points. Our bet is on taking the under.
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.
Last updated:January 4, 2024 Michigan State Spartans, Penn State Nittany Lions, Teams