The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-14) face off against the Penn State Nittany Lions (22-13) in the NIT at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. The game can be seen on ESPN at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 17, 2018.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Prediction
The last time the Nittany Lions played, they beat the Temple Owls, 63-57. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Penn State’s largest strengths. They had 30 free throw attempts, while Temple had just 14. Penn State received a boost from Josh Reaves, who was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
The Fighting Irish had no trouble getting past the Hampton Pirates in their last game, 84-63. The Fighting Irish had a fantastically low turnover percentage of 7.6 (better than their season average of 12.9) and held the Pirates to an effective field goal percentage of 0.338 (below their season average of 0.498). With 14 points and 12 rebounds, Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson put together a solid game.
This matchup pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Notre Dame currently ranks 42nd in offensive efficiency and Penn State is 33rd in defensive efficiency.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Odds Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Notre Dame, ATS Winner – Notre Dame, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Penn State ranks 19th in three pointers allowed per game (18.4) while Notre Dame ranks 185th (22.6).
The Nittany Lions average 5.1 blocks per game, which ranks 20th in the NCAA. The Fighting Irish rank 174th in blocks allowed per game (3.7).
Penn State ranks 48th in steals per game (7.3) while Notre Dame ranks 167th (5.8).
The Nittany Lions average 13.6 assists per game, which ranks 149th in the nation. The Fighting Irish rank 200th in assists allowed per game (14.2).
Penn State averages 35.7 rebounds per game, which ranks 138th in the nation. Notre Dame ranks 142nd in rebounds allowed per game (34.4).
Bettings Trends:
The Nittany Lions have been outscored by an average of 1.0 point in their last five games. For the season, Penn State has defeated opponents by an average of 7.7 points.
During their last five games, the Fighting Irish have scored an average of 69.8 points per game (5.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 68.4 points per game (0.1 below their season average).
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