Northwestern Wildcats (11-3) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions (8-7)
January 10, 2024 6:30 pm EDT
The Line: Penn State Nittany Lions +1.5 / Northwestern Wildcats -1.5; Over/Under: +144
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The Northwestern Wildcats and the Penn State Nittany Lions meet in college basketball action from the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday night. Both teams have two wins in conference play so far, who gets win #3? Let’s dive in and find out with our Northwestern vs. Penn State Prediction.
Northwestern Team Preview
The Northwestern Wildcats come into this one looking to build on an 88-74 win over Michigan State last time out. Boo Buie leads the Wildcats in scoring and assists with 18.1 PPG and 4.9 APG while Brooks Barnhizer has 13.2 PPG with a team-high 7.4 RPG to lead the Wildcats on the glass. Ryan Langborg has 12.1 PPG with 2.9 RPG and 2.9 APG while Ty Berry has 11.8 PPG to cap off the scoring in double figures for Northwestern so far this season. As a team, Northwestern is averaging 73.5 PPG on 46.6% shooting from the field, 36.9% from three and 72.4% from the foul line this season. Northwestern will meet Wisconsin after this one.
Penn State Team Preview
The Penn State Nittany Lions come into this game looking to build on their 79-73 win over Michigan last time out. Kanye Clary leads the Nittany Lions in scoring with 18.4 PPG along with 3.3 RPG and 2.9 APG while Ace Baldwin Jr. has 13.6 PPG with team-highs of 4.3 APG and 2.5 SPG to lead Penn State in assists as the only other double-digit scorer for Penn state so far this season. Qudus Wahab also has 9.7 PPG with a team-high 8.5 RPG to lead Penn State on the glass. As a team, Penn State is averaging 76.5 PPG on 43% shooting from the field, 30.3% from three and 73.9% from the foul line this season. Penn State is 8-7 in the Big Ten standings.
Northwestern vs. Penn State Prediction
I’m on Penn State here. I like this Nittany Lions team at home and I think the Penn State defense is built to slow down Northwestern, taking away the 3 which is Northwestern’s biggest weapon on the offensive end of the floor. The Wildcats are a solid team and I get why they’d be favored on the road, but I think Penn State finds a way to get it done at home here.
