The Nebraska Cornhuskers (21-9, 12-5 Big 10) and Penn State Nittany Lions (19-11, 9-8 Big 10) will go head-to-head at Pinnacle Bank Arena to wrap up the regular season. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 140 points with Penn State set as a 1.5-point favorite. Action starts at 6:15 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 25, 2018.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Nebraska Cornhuskers Free Preview
The last time the Nittany Lions played, they fell to the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines, 72-63. With 21 points on 8-for-18 shooting, Tony Carr was the games leading scorer. Michigan did a terrific job of converting from the free throw line (16-19; 84.2 percent). Penn State, meanwhile, forced the Wolverines into a turnover percentage of 16.8 (above their season average of 12.5).
The Cornhuskers hope to keep it rolling after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers in their last outing, 66-57. Nebraska was lifted by Isaiah Roby, who finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. Nebraska dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a turnover percentage of 16.8 (worse than their season average of 14.0) and a free throw rate of 0.161 (below their season average of 0.275). For those same stats, Indiana had marks of 25.0 and 0.113, respectively.
The offense of Nebraska will square off against the stingy defense of Penn State. The Cornhuskers currently rank 128th in offensive efficiency, while the Nittany Lions are 24th in defensive efficiency. The Nittany Lions should have the edge on that side of the ball. Also, the Nittany Lions, who rank 272nd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.213), will battle against the Cornhuskers, who rank 14th in opponents FTA rate (0.176).
Of Penn State’s 26 games that accepted bets, 14 have finished under the projected point total, while 19 of Nebraska’s 28 games have finished under the projected point total. The Cornhuskers come into this game with a significant advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 21-9 SU and 21-7 ATS, while the Nittany Lions are 19-11 SU and 14-11-1 ATS.
Roby has been playing at a high level over the last five games for Nebraska, averaging 11.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined for 150 points in that game, which was over the projected point total of 140.5. The Nittany Lions won 76-74, but were unable to cover as 8-point favorites. The Nittany Lions dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 35.9 and a solid free throw rate of 0.258. The Cornhuskers recorded marks of 24.4 and 0.221, respectively, for those same stats. Isaac Copeland had a standout performance in the game, producing 21 points and eight rebounds.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Nebraska Cornhuskers Odds Prediction
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Nebraska, ATS Winner – Nebraska, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Nittany Lions rank 43rd in assists allowed per game (11.6) while the Cornhuskers rank 92nd (12.6).
- Nebraska ranks 194th in three pointers attempted per game (20.6) while Penn State ranks 242nd (19.0).
- Nebraska is 12-2 ATS at home, while Penn State is 6-5-1 ATS on the road.
- In 12 road games, the Nittany Lions have 7 overs and 5 unders.
- In 14 home games, the Cornhuskers have 10 unders and 4 overs.
- Penn State ranks 49th in rebounds allowed per game (32.4) while Nebraska ranks 257th (38.0).
- The Nittany Lions rank 12th in blocks per game (5.5) while the Cornhuskers rank 121st in blocks allowed per game (3.5).
- Penn State ranks 36th in steals per game (7.5) while Nebraska ranks 127th (6.2).
Betting Trends:
- Nebraska is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Penn State is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Cornhuskers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.0, up from 4.5 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Nittany Lions have scored an average of 72.6 points per game (3.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.2 points per game (1.3 below their season average).
