The Penn State Nittany Lions (9-9) travel to face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes (12-5) on Saturday, January 20th. This game will be played at Value City Arena in Columbus and televised on BTN. Penn State is coming off a win in their previous game, while Ohio State is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Michigan. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Ohio State Buckeyes
The Penn State Nittany Lions Are Coming Off A Win
After a win against Wisconsin, Penn State is 9-9 on the season, including a 3-4 record in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions have struggled on the road, going 0-6 with an average scoring margin of -14.7 points per game.
As underdogs, Penn State is 3-6 this season. They have been underdogs in nine games compared to being favored in nine games. So far, their average scoring margin is -14.7 compared to +11.6 at home.
As the underdog this season, Penn State has gone 5-4 vs. the spread. On the road, their ATS mark is 2-4 and over their last 10 games as the underdog, they have gone 5-4-1.
This season, the over/under record in Penn State games is 11-6-1 and today’s line of 150.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (144.3). So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 163 points.
The Ohio State Buckeyes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Ohio State enters tonight’s game against Penn State with a 12-5 record and are favored by 8.5 points. They are 9-2 at home this season, with an average scoring margin of +13.0 points per game.
Over their last ten games at home, the Buckeyes are 8-2, and they are 4-1 in their last five contests. They are coming off a 73-65 loss to Michigan, and their record in games where they are favored this season is 11-4.
Ohio State has struggled against the spread this season, going just 5-12. Their ATS record at home is even worse at 3-8, and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they are just 3-7 vs. the spread.
Ohio State’s over/under record this season is 9-8 and today’s line of 150.5 is higher than the average OU line in their games (143.1). So far, 12 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 134 points and their over/under record during this span is 0-3.
Penn State Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, Penn State offense put up 87 points against Wisconsin. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 53.3% and made 8 threes. Kanye Clary is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 19.1. Meanwhile, Adrian Baldwin Jr also brings a PPG average of 13.2 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanye Clary (G) | 19.1 | 3.3 | 2.7 |
| Adrian Baldwin Jr (G) | 13.2 | 1.9 | 4.9 |
| Qudus Wahab (F) | 9.2 | 7.9 | 0.6 |
Ohio State Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the Ohio State offense tallied 65 points in a matchup against Michigan. Their field goal percentage for the game was 37.9%, and they made 3 threes. Bruce Thornton is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 16.8. Meanwhile, Jamison Battle also brings a PPG average of 14.6 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Thornton (G) | 16.8 | 3.0 | 4.2 |
| Jamison Battle (F) | 14.6 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
| Roddy Gayle Jr. (G) | 14.1 | 5.2 | 3.0 |
Penn State Team Defense
On defense, Penn State is currently around the NCAA average in points allowed, giving up an average of 74.1 points per game. Against Wisconsin in their most recent game, the Penn State defense gave up a total of 83 points while allowing Wisconsin to hit 53% of their shots.
Ohio State Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Ohio State defense is giving up an average of 66.5 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.6 threes per game vs. Penn State. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 31.7%.
Nittany Lions vs Buckeyes Trends
- Penn State has a 0-3 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 71 points per game while allowing 89. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
- Although Ohio State has a straight up record of 6-4 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-5. The team averaged 71 points per game in these games.
- Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Nittany Lions have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
- Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Buckeyes have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 1-4.
Nittany Lions vs Buckeyes Prediction
For a pick on the point-spread in this Buckeyes vs. Nittany Lions matchup, our bet is to grab the Nittany Lions at +8.5. Even though our projections have the Buckeyes winning 75-69, we see the Nittany Lions as the play on the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 150.5 and our model has the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take 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 20, 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, Uncategorized