The No. 22 Wisconsin Badgers (10-4, 2-1 Big 10) look to prolong their five-game winning streak against the Penn State Nittany Lions (7-7, 0-3 Big 10) at Bryce Jordan Center. The game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 6, 2019.
Wisconsin Badgers at Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Prediction
The last time the Badgers played, they blew out the Coppin State Eagles, 85-63. The Badgers had a much better turnover percentage (6.5 vs. 17.5) and had a much better free throw rate (0.377 vs. 0.169). Ethan Happ played a huge role in the victory for Wisconsin, accumulating 10 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds on his way to his zeroth triple-double this season.
The Nittany Lions were victorious over the North Florida Ospreys in their last outing, 87-72. One of Penn State’s largest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They made 35 trips to the line, 13 more than North Florida. Lamar Stevens was the game’s top scorer with 22 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field.
After the Badgers won the only game against the Nittany Lions last season, 64-63, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. Wisconsin launched 11 three pointers, making five of them (45.5 percent), while Penn State was just 2-14 (14.3 percent).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Happ (0 points) has been fantastic for the Badgers while Stevens (0 points) has made great contributions to the Nittany Lions.
Penn State might have trouble putting up points as they face off against one of the NCAA’s best defenses. Wisconsin ranks 56th in defensive efficiency, while the Nittany Lions rank 271st in offensive efficiency. Furthermore, the Badgers rank 319th in offensive rebounding percentage (23.6 percent), while the Nittany Lions rank 59th in defensive rebounding percentage (75.2 percent).
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Wisconsin, ATS Winner – Wisconsin, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Penn State ranks 34th in steals per game (8.2) while Wisconsin ranks 154th (5.6).
The Nittany Lions are 15th in the country with 18.2 three pointers allowed per game while the Badgers are 56th with 20.3 three pointers allowed per game.
Wisconsin averages 3.9 blocks per game, which ranks 62nd in the country. Penn State ranks 80th in blocks allowed per game (3.4).
The Badgers allow the 21st-fewest assists per game (10.3) while the Nittany Lions rank 32nd (10.7).
Bettings Trends:
The Badgers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 20.8, up from 11.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Nittany Lions have scored an average of 73.2 points per game (3.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 64.6 points per game (1.8 below their season average).
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