The Penn State Nittany Lions (9-11) travel to face off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (10-9) on Wednesday, January 31st. This game will be played at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway and televised on BTN. Both Penn State and Rutgers will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 ET.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Penn State Nittany Lions Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Heading into their matchup with Rutgers, Penn State is 9-11 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions have lost two straight games and are 0-7 on the road this season. Their average scoring margin on the road is -14.3 points per game.
So far this season, Penn State has been the underdog in ten of their 20 games, going 3-7 in those matchups. In their most recent game, the Nittany Lions fell to Minnesota by a score of 83-74.
As the underdog, Penn State has gone 5-5 vs. the spread this season and is 8-12 overall. On the road, the Nittany Lions have an ATS mark of just 2-5. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, Penn State has an ATS record of 5-5.
This season, the over/under record for Penn State games is 12-7-1. The average scoring total in their games is 151 points, which is four points higher than the average over/under line of 145. So far, 14 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 143.5. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 157 points.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After losing their last two games, Rutgers will look to get back on track as they host Penn State. So far this season, the Scarlet Knights have gone 9-4 at home, compared to 1-5 on the road. For the year, they are 10-9 overall and 2-6 in Big Ten games.
Currently, Rutgers is favored by 7.5 points. This season, they have been favored in 11 of their 19 games, going 9-2 in those contests. In their most recent game, the Scarlet Knights fell to Purdue by a score of 68-60.
As the favorite, Rutgers has gone 6-5 vs. the spread this year. At home, their ATS mark is 7-6. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Scarlet Knights are 6-4.
So far this season, the over/under record for Rutgers games is 6-13. Today’s over/under line of 143.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this season of 138.1. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 148 points.
Penn State Offense Breakdown
The Nittany Lions’ offense wrapped up their last game with 74 points, aligning closely with their current season average of 76.2 points per contest. In terms of offense, the Nittany Lions have a season-long field goal percentage of 43%, putting them 266th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 347th in percentage and 185th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanye Clary (G) | 18.4 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| Adrian Baldwin Jr (G) | 13.2 | 1.9 | 4.8 |
| Qudus Wahab (F) | 9.2 | 7.9 | 0.5 |
Rutgers Offense Breakdown
Rutgers offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 60 points against Purdue. In that game, they made 4/16 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 37.5%. On the offensive front, the Scarlet Knights have a season-long field goal percentage of 38%, ranking 394th nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 374th in terms of percentage and 314th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aundre Hyatt (F) | 12.4 | 5.3 | 1.4 |
| Clifford Omoruyi (C) | 10.9 | 9.2 | 0.5 |
| Derek Simpson (G) | 9.4 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
Penn State Team Defense
Currently, the Nittany Lions’ defense holds the 228th rank in the nation, allowing 74.8 points per game. So far, the Penn State defense is giving up an average of 9.0 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 10.1 times per game (418th).
Rutgers Team Defense
In the current season, the Rutgers defense has excelled, sitting 60th in the nation by allowing 66.6 points per game. Against Purdue in their most recent game, the Rutgers defense gave up a total of 68 points while allowing Purdue to hit 37% of their shots.
Nittany Lions vs Scarlet Knights Trends
- Across the Nittany Lions last three road games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 88. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 0-3 straight-up.
- Although Rutgers has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 0-3. The team averaged 65 points per game in these games.
- Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Nittany Lions have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
- Rutgers has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.
Nittany Lions vs Scarlet Knights Prediction
For a pick on the point-spread in this Scarlet Knights vs. Nittany Lions matchup, our bet is to grab the Nittany Lions at +7.5. Even though our projections have the Scarlet Knights winning 75-69, we see the Nittany Lions as the play on the point-spread.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 143.5 and given that our model is projecting 144 points between the teams, we like 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.
Last updated:January 31, 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions, Rutgers Scarlet Knights