Penn State Nittany Lions at Alabama Crimson Tide ATS Prediction 12/21/18

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The Penn State Nittany Lions (6-5) will travel to Coleman Coliseum to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide (7-3). The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, December 21, 2018, and will air on SEC Network.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Alabama Crimson Tide ATS Odds

Both teams were triumphant in their last game. The Crimson Tide dismantled the Southern University Jaguars 82-62, while the Nittany Lions beat the North Florida Ospreys 87-72.

The Nittany Lions had a much better free throw rate (0.439 vs. 0.203) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.544 vs. 0.461). Meanwhile, Alabama dominated nearly every stat category in their game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 44.4 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.573. For those same stats, Southern University was 27.5 and 0.409, respectively. Donta Hall had a good outing for Alabama, putting up 20 points and five rebounds. Penn State was lifted by Lamar Stevens, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Stevens has taken his game to another level recently for Penn State, averaging 0 points over the last five games.

This has potential to be a mistake-prone game for the offense of Alabama. Alabama ranks 207th in the nation in ball protection (turnover percentage of 19.4 percent), while the ball-hawking defense of Penn State forces the 53rd-most turnovers in the country (22.5 percent).

Penn State vs. Alabama Odds Pick

College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Penn State, ATS Winner – Alabama, O/U – Over

Betting Notes:

  • Penn State ranks 22nd in steals per game (8.6) while Alabama ranks 174th (4.8).
  • The Crimson Tide are 23rd in the country with 10.2 assists allowed per game while the Nittany Lions are 40th with 11.0 assists allowed per game.
  • Alabama is 26th in the nation with 18.7 three pointers allowed per game while Penn State is 39th with 19.5 three pointers allowed per game.
  • The Crimson Tide rank 22nd in blocks per game (5.1) while the Nittany Lions rank 111th (3.0).
  • Alabama ranks 47th in rebounds allowed per game (32.3) while Penn State ranks 125th (34.8).

Bettings Trends:

  • The Crimson Tide’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.8, up from 4.3 for the season.
  • During their last five games, the Nittany Lions have scored an average of 73.2 points per game (2.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 64.6 points per game (2.3 below their season average).