The Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1) travel to face off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-4) on Tuesday, December 10th. This game will be played at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway and televised on PEAC. Penn State is coming off a win in their previous game, while Rutgers is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Ohio State. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Nittany Lions Are Coming Off A Win

Penn State improved to 8-1 on the season with an 81-70 home win over Purdue on Thursday. The Nittany Lions, who were favored by 2 points, covered the spread, and the game’s total points of 151 narrowly exceeded the over/under line of 149.5.

Penn State took control early, leading 40-24 at halftime, but allowed 46 points in the second half while scoring 41 of their own to secure the win.

The Scarlet Knights Are Coming Off A Win

Rutgers dropped to 5-4 on the season after an 80-66 road loss to Ohio State on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights entered the game as +5.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 146, falling short of the 154.5 O/U line.

Trailing 39-31 at halftime, Rutgers allowed 41 points in the second half while scoring 35 of their own. The Scarlet Knights will look to bounce back after this loss.

Nittany Lions Offense Breakdown

Penn State put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 48.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.3%. They hit 38.9% from three-point range, going 7 for 18, and were impressive at the free-throw line, making 28 of 32 attempts for 87.5%.

Ace Baldwin Jr. led the team with 17 points and 6 assists, while Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer each added 15 points. Freddie Dilione V contributed 14 points, hitting 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, and Nick Kern Jr. chipped in 12 points and 8 rebounds.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Rutgers put up 66 points, shooting 42.1% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.1%, and they hit 91.7% of their free throws, going 11-for-12 from the line.

Devin Royal and Bruce Thornton each scored 22 points, with Royal shooting 75% and Thornton hitting 61.5% of his shots. Dylan Harper added 20 points, connecting on 3 of 7 from three-point range.

Nittany Lions Team Defense

Despite Penn State’s defensive efforts, they gave up 70 points on 48% shooting from the field. The Nittany Lions allowed 16 two-point baskets on 29 attempts, a 55% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Penn State’s opponents hit 7 of 18 threes, shooting 38%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 32 times, where they made 28, an 87% success rate. Penn State gave up 8 offensive rebounds.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

Despite Penn State’s defensive efforts, they allowed 70 points on 48% shooting from the field. The opposing team found success inside, hitting 55% of their two-point attempts (16/29).

From beyond the arc, the opposition shot 38%, connecting on 7 of 18 three-point attempts. Penn State also sent them to the line 32 times, where they made 28 free throws (87%).

Nittany Lions vs Scarlet Knights Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Nittany Lions offense has averaged 68 points per game while allowing an average of 69. Penn State posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 5-3-2 ATS.
• Although Rutgers has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-1-1. The team averaged 80 points per game in these games.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Nittany Lions have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 2-1-2.
• As the betting favorite, the Scarlet Knights have an ATS mark of just 2-7-1 in their last ten games. Rutgers posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.

Nittany Lions vs Scarlet Knights Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Scarlet Knights, with a final score of 77-69, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Scarlet Knights at -1.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 157.5 and given that our model is projecting 146 points between the teams, we like the under.

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

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* 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.