Northwestern vs Penn State Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Friday, March 10, 2023

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The No. 10 seed Penn State Nittany Lions (20-12, 10-10 Big Ten) play in the Big Ten Tournament against the No. 2 seed Northwestern Wildcats (21-10, 12-8 Big Ten) on Friday at United Center, beginning at 6:30 PM.

Friday’s matchup between the Wildcats and the Nittany Lions features a slim line of Northwestern -2. The point total for the game is 130.5.

Northwestern vs. Penn State Odds

Point Spread for Northwestern vs. Penn State

The spread for this matchup is set at 2 points, with oddsmakers listing Northwestern as the favorite.

Northwestern vs. Penn State Moneyline

As for the moneyline, Northwestern has -128 odds to pick up the win, while Penn State is listed at +108 to claim victory.

Over/Under

Finally, the total for the game is set at 130.5 points.

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Game Time and How to Watch

  • Game Day: Friday, March 10, 2023
  • Game Time: 6:30 PM ET
  • TV Channel: Big Ten Network
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois
  • Arena: United Center

Northwestern vs. Penn State Betting Trends

Northwestern is 19-12-0 against the spread this season. The Wildcats have won in 12, or 80%, of the 15 contests they have been named as odds-on favorites in this year. Northwestern’s games this year have eclipsed the over/under 11 times in 32 opportunities (34.4%).

Against the spread, Penn State is 17-14-1 this year. The Nittany Lions are 5-8 in games they were the underdog on the moneyline (winning 38.5% of those games). Penn State’s games this season have gone over the total in 18 of 32 opportunities (56.2%).

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Northwestern vs. Penn State Key Players to Watch

Northwestern

Chase Audige averages 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest, shooting 37.3% from the floor and 33.2% from downtown with 2 made 3-pointers per contest. Ty Berry posts 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. At the other end, he puts up 1.5 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Matthew Nicholson puts up a team-high 5.5 rebounds per contest. He is also posting 6.1 points and 1.3 assists, shooting 58.6% from the floor.

Penn State

Jalen Pickett paces the Nittany Lions in scoring (17.8 points per game), rebounding (7.3) and assists (7), making 52.5% from the floor and 38.9% from beyond the arc with 1.3 triples per game. He also puts up 1 steal and 0.5 blocked shots. Seth Lundy gives the Nittany Lions 14.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1 assists per contest. He also delivers 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocked shots. Andrew Funk gives the Nittany Lions 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He also delivers 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocked shots. The Nittany Lions receive 9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game from Camren Wynter.

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What you need to know about the Northwestern Wildcats

In Northwestern’s 20 Big Ten games this season, the combined scoring has gone over the point total nine times. The Wildcats have a top-25 defense this season, ranking 17th-best in college basketball with 62.3 points allowed per game. Offensively, they rank 283rd with 67.7 points scored per contest. Northwestern is averaging 32 boards per game (165th-ranked in college basketball). It is allowing 31.6 rebounds per contest (210th-ranked).

Northwestern is sinking 7.7 treys per game (140th-ranked in college basketball) this year, while putting up a 32.3% three-point percentage (284th-ranked). The Wildcats are ceding 7.6 threes per game (227th-ranked in college basketball). They are allowing opponents to shoot 33.9% (188th-ranked) from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats are 7-3 against the spread and 6-4 overall in their last 10 contests. In its past 10 games, Northwestern has hit the over once. Northwestern has been scoring 63.3 points per contest in its last 10 times on the court, an average that’s slightly lower than the 67.7 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 campaign. Northwestern’s points-allowed average over its last 10 games (62.5) is 0.2 more points per game than the team is allowing over the entire season (62.3).

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What you need to know about the Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has compiled an 11-9-1 record against the spread in conference games this season. The Nittany Lions are 158th in the nation in points scored (72.6 per game) and 126th in points allowed (68.4). With 29.7 rebounds per game and 32.6 rebounds conceded, Penn State is 292nd and 282nd in the country, respectively.

Penn State is the fourth-best squad in college basketball in 3-pointers made (10.7 per game) and seventh-best in 3-point percentage (38.9%). In 2022-23, the Nittany Lions are 227th in college basketball in 3-pointers conceded (7.6 per game) and 224th in defensive 3-point percentage (34.4%).

The Nittany Lions have gone 6-4 in their past 10 contests, with a 5-4-1 record against the spread during that span. In its past 10 contests, Penn State has gone over the total six times. In its previous 10 games, Penn State is posting 71.7 points per game, compared to its season average of 72.6. The Nittany Lions have fared worse defensively over their past 10 games, ceding 71 points per contest, 2.6 more points their than season average of 68.4.

Northwestern vs. Penn State Prediction & Pick

Our prediction to win this game is Penn State, and we predict that Penn State will cover the spread (Northwestern -2). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 130.5 points.

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How to bet Northwestern vs. Penn State

You can bet on Northwestern vs. Penn State at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.

And if you wanted to check out how much you could win on a $10 bet if you parlayed today’s Northwestern vs. Penn State picks, don’t forget to check out our free parlay calculator.

Not sure what a parlay is? Or even how to bet on college basketball? Check out our complete guide to sports betting.

WRITTEN BY

Dan Weiner

Hailing from Atlanta and attending college at the University of Texas, Dan is passionate about sports, particularly college football and soccer. He's a diehard Atlanta pro sports and Texas Longhorns fan. He likes every sport and will watch anything and everything the weirder the better. He joined Betsperts after an 11 year career in television production at ESPN.

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