The Penn State Nittany Lions (12-11) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (16-7) on Sunday, February 11th. This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston and televised on BTN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 1:00 ET.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Northwestern Wildcats
The Penn State Nittany Lions Are Coming Off A Win
After a win over Iowa, Penn State comes into this game with a record of 12-11. So far this season, the Nittany Lions have gone 6-6 in Big Ten games and 6-5 in non-conference matchups. On the road, they have gone 2-7, and their average scoring margin away from home is -7.9.
Coming into this game, Penn State is the underdog, and they have gone 6-7 in games where they are not favored. So far, they have been the underdog in 13 of their 23 games. Their record over the last ten road games is 2-8, and they have won three games in a row.
As the underdog, Penn State has been solid against the spread this season, going 8-5. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Nittany Lions have an impressive ATS mark of 7-3. On the road, Penn State is 4-5 vs. the spread this year and they are 2-1 in their last three road contests.
Today’s over/under line of 148 is similar to the average over/under line in Penn State’s games this year (146). So far, their over/under record is 14-8-1. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 143 points, which is lower than their season average of 150 points per game.
The Northwestern Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Northwestern is 14-1 at home this season, and they have won seven straight games at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Overall, the Wildcats are 16-7, and they are 13-1 when favored.
On the other hand, Northwestern is just 2-5 on the road this year, and they have lost three straight away from home. They are coming off an 80-68 win over Nebraska, and they are 9-1 in their last 10 home games.
As the favorite, Northwestern has gone 7-5-2 vs. the spread this season and they are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games. Overall, the Wildcats have an ATS mark of 11-9-2 this year.
On the season, the over/under record for Northwestern is 15-7 and today’s line of 148 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year (137.1). So far, 12 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. But looking at their recent games, the over has hit in their last three contests and the average scoring total in those games is 162 points.
Penn State Offense Breakdown
Penn State is fresh off a strong offensive showing, putting up 89 points versus Iowa. This output is higher than their season-average of 76.5 points per game. Currently leading the team in scoring is Kanye Clary who comes into today’s matchup averaging 17.9. Adrian Baldwin Jr also heads into the game with a PPG average of 14.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanye Clary (G) | 17.9 | 3 | 2.8 |
| Adrian Baldwin Jr (G) | 14.0 | 2 | 5.3 |
| Qudus Wahab (F) | 9.7 | 8 | 0.6 |
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
Northwestern’s offense is coming off a good game, putting up 80 points vs. Nebraska. Overall, they hit 42.9% of their shots from the field and went 15/22 from the free-throw line. The top scorer for the Wildcats was Boo Buie with 22 points, while Ryan Langborg also chipped in with 18 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 19.0 | 3.5 | 5.3 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.5 | 6.6 | 2.8 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 12.0 | 3.3 | 2.6 |
Penn State Team Defense
On defense, Penn State is currently around the NCAA average in points allowed, giving up an average of 73.5 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Penn State’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 46.6% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 30.6% this season.
Northwestern Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Northwestern defense is giving up an average of 70.0 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Northwestern’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 45.1% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 36.4% this season.
Nittany Lions vs Wildcats Trends
- Penn State has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 71 points per game while allowing 65. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
- Through their last ten home contests, the Wildcats offense has averaged 67 points per game while allowing an average of 72. Northwestern posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 4-5-1 ATS.
- Penn State has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-4-1.
Nittany Lions vs Wildcats Prediction
For a point-spread bet in this Wildcats vs. Wildcats matchup, we’re leaning towards the Wildcats at -8. Although our projections show the Wildcats winning 75-69, we suggest placing your bet on the Nittany Lions for the point-spread.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 148, and our model predicts the Nittany Lions and Wildcats to score a combined 144 points. We recommend betting on 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:February 11, 2024 Northwestern Wildcats, Penn State Nittany Lions