The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-14, 0-10 Big 10) will attempt to put an end to their eight-game losing streak when they go head-to-head with the Northwestern Wildcats (12-9, 3-7 Big 10) at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, February 4, 2019.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Northwestern Wildcats Free Prediction
The Nittany Lions are hoping for a better outcome after their 99-90 loss to the No. 17 Purdue Boilermakers in their last contest. Purdue couldn’t miss, shooting 55.2 percent from the field. Penn State, on the other hand, had a field goal percentage of 39.3. Lamar Stevens led Penn State in scoring with 24 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
In the Wildcats’ last game, they lost big to the No. 21 Maryland Terrapins, 70-52. Maryland’s 31.3 offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest strength over Northwestern, who had a mark of 15.0. The Terrapins’ mark was below their season average of 35.9, while the Wildcats’ was below their season average of 26.1. Northwestern’s Anthony Gaines had a solid performance, leading the team in scoring with 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
After the Nittany Lions won two out of three contests against the Wildcats last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent matchup, Penn State won 65-57. The Nittany Lions had a much better turnover percentage (7.0 vs. 13.3) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (32.5 vs. 31.4).
Northwestern figures to have the advantage on the defensive side of the ball. The Wildcats rank 63rd in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.475), while Penn State is 317th in effective field goal percentage (0.471).
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Northwestern Wildcats Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Northwestern, ATS Winner – Penn State, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Penn State ranks 112th in rebounds per game (36.7) while Northwestern ranks 248th (33.5).
The Wildcats rank 37th in blocks per game (4.5) while the Nittany Lions rank 121st in blocks allowed per game (3.6).
Northwestern is fifth in the NCAA with 17.3 three pointers allowed per game while Penn State is 30th with 19.1 three pointers allowed per game.
The Nittany Lions average 7.3 steals per game, which ranks 65th in the country. The Wildcats rank 73rd in steals allowed per game (5.9).
Northwestern averages 14.6 assists per game, which ranks 82nd in the country. Penn State ranks 90th in assists allowed per game (12.3).
Bettings Trends:
The Nittany Lions’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 7.2, up from 1.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 59.2 points per game (9.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 67.0 points per game (2.4 above their season average).
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