Penn State Nittany Lions vs Northwestern Wildcats Prediction

The Big Ten Tournament is heating up, and the Penn State Nittany Lions are set to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats in a thrilling matchup. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season with a 20-12 record and a 10-10 record in the Big Ten, while the Wildcats finished with a 21-10 record and a 12-8 record in the conference. The winner of this game will move on to the quarterfinals of the tournament, and both teams will be fighting hard for a chance to continue their season.

In this article, we'll take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of both teams, analyze the latest betting trends and public betting data, and provide a prediction and pick for this exciting matchup. You can also stay up-to-date on all the latest odds and lines on KingPin.pro's iOS and Android app.

Penn State Nittany Lions

The Penn State Nittany Lions had a solid regular season, finishing with a .500 record in the Big Ten. They come into this game on a three-game winning streak, with victories over Illinois, Maryland, and Northwestern. The Nittany Lions have been led by Jalen Pickett, who is averaging 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. Pickett is an excellent playmaker and can score from anywhere on the court. He will be a key player for the Nittany Lions in this game.

In addition to Pickett, the Nittany Lions have several other players who can contribute on the offensive end. Seth Lundy is averaging 13.7 points per game and has been a reliable scorer for Penn State throughout the season. Myles Dread is another player to watch, as he is shooting 39.2% from beyond the arc and can get hot from three-point range.

Defensively, the Nittany Lions have been solid this season, holding opponents to 68.4 points per game. They will need to continue to play strong defense against a Northwestern team that can put up points in a hurry.

Northwestern Wildcats

The Northwestern Wildcats finished the regular season with a 21-10 record and a 12-8 record in the Big Ten. They come into this game on a one-game winning streak, with a victory over Rutgers in their last game. The Wildcats have been led by Boo Buie, who is averaging 17.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Buie is an explosive scorer who can shoot from anywhere on the court.

In addition to Buie, the Wildcats have several other players who can contribute on the offensive end. Chase Audige is averaging 11.3 points per game and has been a consistent scorer for Northwestern. Ryan Young is another player to watch, as he is shooting 59.8% from the field and is a force inside.

Defensively, the Wildcats have been solid this season, holding opponents to 62.3 points per game. They will need to continue to play strong defense against a Penn State team that can score in a variety of ways.

Betting Trends:

According to the latest betting trends, the Northwestern Wildcats are favored by 1.0 point in this game. The over/under is set at 130.5 points. As of this writing, 58% of the public betting data is in favor of the Wildcats to cover the spread, while 42% are backing the Nittany Lions to upset the Wildcats.

It's interesting to note that the Wildcats have covered the spread in 54.8% of their games this season, while the Nittany Lions have covered in 52.2% of their games. This suggests that both teams have been fairly consistent when it comes to covering the spread, which makes this game even more difficult to predict.

In terms of the over/under, both teams have been fairly consistent in hitting the under this season. The under has hit in 53.1% of the Wildcats' games, and in 52.2% of the Nittany Lions' games. This suggests that we could be in for a low-scoring game on Friday night.

Overall, the betting trends suggest that this game could be a close one, with both teams having a fairly even chance of covering the spread. It will be interesting to see how the public betting data evolves as we get closer to tipoff.

Public Betting Data:

The public betting data shows that 58% of the bets are currently in favor of the Northwestern Wildcats to cover the spread as 1.0 point favorites. Meanwhile, 52% of the bets are on the over for the 130.5 point total.

Odds:

As for the odds, the Northwestern Wildcats are currently listed as 1.0 point favorites over the Penn State Nittany Lions. The over/under is set at 130.5 points.

Injuries:

In terms of injuries, both teams are relatively healthy heading into this matchup. There are no major injuries or absences reported for either squad.

Prediction and Pick:

This matchup between Northwestern and Penn State is shaping up to be a close and competitive one. While both teams have been up and down throughout the season, they both have the potential to make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament.

Given the trends and odds, we believe that the Northwestern Wildcats will come out on top in this matchup. They have been playing some solid basketball as of late and have a slight edge in terms of overall talent and depth.

Our pick for this game is Northwestern -1.0. While it's a tight spread, we think that the Wildcats will be able to cover it and emerge with the victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions.