The Colorado Buffaloes (10-1) face off against the Penn State Nittany Lions (8-3) at Orleans Arena. The game gets underway at 10:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
The Buffaloes enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out Hampton 95-53 on Saturday. With 19 points and 10 rebounds, Tory Miller recorded his first double-double of the season. The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, are coming off a 63-57 win against Drexel on Saturday. Payton Banks was the game’s top scorer, posting 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting.
Colorado, a seven-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Penn State. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 138 points. The Buffaloes are hoping to build on their records of 10-1 Straight Up (SU) and 6-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Colorado is excellent from the perimeter with 97 three-pointers made (8.0 per game), the 50th-most in the country. Colorado has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where it racks up an average of 45.1 rebounds per game. Transitioning to the Colorado defense, opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Buffaloes, ranking 24th in the country in blocks per game with 5.8.
As for their opponent, the Nittany Lions have records of 4-5-1 ATS and 8-3 SU. Don’t expect Penn State to give away the ball much on offense, where its 11.0 turnovers per game ranks 36th in the country.
This game will be the first meeting for Colorado and Penn State in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Colo, ATS Winner – Colo, O/U – Over
Notes
Colorado is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 85.7 points per game (ranked 15th). Penn State allows 64.7 points per game (ranked 52nd).
Colorado won its last game by a 42-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Penn State is 0-1. Colorado is 4-0 in blowouts this season.
The Colorado Buffaloes have a defensive rating of 95.6 (ranked 74th), while the Penn State Nittany Lions have an offensive rating of 101.8 (ranked 234th).
The Penn State Nittany Lions average a field goal percentage of 40.5% this season. The Colorado Buffaloes have a stellar 6-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 40.5% or greater.
The Colorado Buffaloes and the Penn State Nittany Lions both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Colorado is 53rd and 41st in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Penn State is 307th and 303rd in these categories.
Colorado ranks 35th in assists, registering 17.1 per game. Penn State performs worse at 348th with 9.8 assists per game.
Colorado, the 24th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.8 per game. Penn State ranks 54th with 5.1.
Colorado ranks 86th in offensive rebounding. Penn State ranks 200th in defensive rebounding.
The Colorado Buffaloes make an average of 5.3 steals per game. When the Penn State Nittany Lions allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 3-1.
