The Penn State Nittany Lions (23-13) square off against the Marquette Golden Eagles (21-13) in the NIT at Al McGuire Center. The game can be seen on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Marquette Golden Eagles ATS Prediction
In the Nittany Lions’ last outing, they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 73-63. The Nittany Lions made 20 of their 25 free throws (80.0 percent) and had a turnover percentage of 11.5 (better than their season average of 15.2). Josh Reaves had a good outing for Penn State, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds.
The Golden Eagles beat the Oregon Ducks in their last outing, 101-92. Marquette’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Oregon. The Golden Eagles had a rate of 0.678 (above their season average of 0.565), while the Ducks posted a mark of 0.574. Andrew Rowsey was the top scorer from either team with 29 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Marquette takes on the stingy defense of Penn State. The Golden Eagles rank 17th in offensive efficiency, while the Nittany Lions are 34th in defensive efficiency.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Marquette Golden Eagles Betting Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Marquette, ATS Winner – Marquette, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Marquette ranks 32nd in three pointers attempted per game (26.3) while Penn State ranks 236th (19.5).
The Nittany Lions rank 60th in assists allowed per game (11.9) while the Golden Eagles rank 256th (15.0).
Penn State ranks 134th in rebounds per game (35.8) while Marquette ranks 297th (31.9).
The Golden Eagles rank 50th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Nittany Lions rank 176th (3.7).
Penn State ranks 45th in steals per game (7.4) while Marquette ranks 136th (6.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Nittany Lions’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.4, down from 7.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Golden Eagles have scored an average of 79.0 points per game (2.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 79.2 points per game (0.9 above their season average).
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