The Penn State Nittany Lions (8-14, 1-10 Big 10) will be at Value City Arena to go head-to-head against the Ohio State Buckeyes (14-7, 4-6 Big 10) in a Big 10 matchup. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 7, 2019, and can be seen on ESPN.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Odds
Both teams were victorious over their last opponent. The Buckeyes defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 76-62, while the Nittany Lions beat the Northwestern Wildcats 59-52.
Penn State played a nearly perfect game. They had a superb free throw rate of 0.302 (above their season average of 0.208) and a turnover percentage of 12.3 (better than their season average of 15.9). Northwestern put up marks of 0.079 and 16.4, respectively, for those same stats. Ohio State, meanwhile, dominated nearly every facet of their game. They had a great turnover percentage of 9.6 (better than their season average of 16.8) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.657 (above their season average of 0.525). Rutgers was 16.1 and 0.491, respectively, for those same stats. Ohio State was lifted by Kaleb Wesson, who finished with 27 points and five assists. Lamar Stevens, meanwhile had a solid performance for Penn State, recording 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
The Nittany Lions dominated this series last year, emerging victorious in all three games. In the most recent contest, Penn State won 69-68. Penn State did a fantastic job of making free throws (16-20; 80.0 percent). Ohio State, meanwhile, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.508 vs. 0.457). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
From an effective field goal percentage perspective, Ohio State should have a considerable edge. The Buckeyes defense ranks 44th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.469), while the Penn State offense is ranked 326th in effective field goal percentage (0.469).
Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio State Buckeyes ATS Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Ohio State, ATS Winner – Ohio State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Ohio State ranks 30th in assists allowed per game (11.0) while Penn State ranks 91st (12.3).
- The Nittany Lions are 34th in the nation with 19.2 three pointers allowed per game while the Buckeyes are 60th with 20.4 three pointers allowed per game.
- Penn State ranks 59th in steals per game (7.4) while Ohio State ranks 67th in steals allowed per game (5.8).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Buckeyes have scored an average of 64.6 points per game (8.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 68.2 points per game (3.1 above their season average).
- The Nittany Lions’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 2.8, up from 0.6 for the season.
