Oregon vs Penn State Prediction 1/12/25 College Basketball Picks
Penn State (12-4) vs Oregon (14-2)
Game Info: Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 4:00 pm (Bryce Jordan Center)
Betting Odds: Penn State +3 -- Over/Under: 154.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: BTN
The Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions meet Sunday in college basketball action from Bryce Jordan Center. Here’s an Oregon vs Penn State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Oregon vs Penn State pick. We will examine:
The Oregon Ducks' recent form and player performance
The Penn State Nittany Lions' recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Oregon Ducks
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Penn State Nittany Lions
Recent betting trends in games played between Oregon and Penn State
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Oregon vs Penn State game
Oregon Ducks Betting Preview
The Ducks have had a pretty great year so far, with only a couple of blemishes on the card over their first 16 outings. Oregon hit a 9-0 run to open up the season, beating UC Riverside, Montana, Portland, Troy, Oregon State, Texas A&M, San Diego State, Alabama, and USC in succession during that time. Oregon would go 3-2 over the next five, with losses to UCLA and Illinois sandwiched around wins versus Stephen F Austin, Stanford, and Weber State in that time. Since then the Ducks have recovered on consecutive victories. They’ve taken out Maryland and Ohio State in that pair for a 14-2 overall record through the first 16 games.
In the Ohio State game on Thursday, Oregon cut it pretty close but eventually came out on top. By halftime, the Ducks held a 32-27 edge, but the team came alive on a 46-39 run from there in a 73-71 comeback victory. Leading the charge was Jackson Shelstad with 24 points, three assists, two steals, and two rebounds. Nate Bittle added 21 points with eight boards, one assist, and one steal, while Keeshawn Barthelemy put up seven points off the bench alongside four boards in 25 minutes of work on the floor.
Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview
Over on the Penn State side, they came into the season with a pretty great run themselves. The Nittany Lions went 6-0 in their first half-dozen outings, taking wins over Binghamton, UMBC, St. Francis PA, Virginia Tech, Fort Wayne, and Fordham. A 2-2 stretch came after that with losses to Clemson and Rutgers around wins versus Buffalo and Purdue in that quartet. Penn State would beat Coppin State, Drexel, Pennsylvania, and Northwestern in their next four outings before a pair of losses to Indiana and Illinois for a 12-4 start to the season.
Matched up against Illinois back on Wednesday, the Nittany Lions were drilled in the first half on a 45-21 deficit. Penn State didn’t end up getting any closer than that, posting a 46-31 disadvantage in the second half for a 91-52 blowout loss. Tops in scoring was Nick Kern with 13 points, five boards, two assists, and two steals. The only other player on the team to finish with double-digits was Zach Hicks with 11 points, seven boards, and two steals. Jahvin Carter came off the bench to provide seven points with one rebound in 23 minutes of action, though.
Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win
- Penn State has won 12 of its last 13 games at Bryce Jordan Center.
- Oregon has lost the first half in four of its last five games against Conference opponents.
Why the Oregon Ducks will win
- Oregon has won 11 of its last 12 day games.
- Penn State has lost four of its last five day games against Conference opponents.
- Penn State has lost the first half in eight of its last 10 day games against AP-ranked opponents.
Oregon vs Penn State Prediction
I might take a stab at Penn State here. The Nittany Lions need a good bounce-back effort, however, following a rough game against a dangerous Illinois squad. Penn State shot a meager 30.8 percent from the field and 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from 3-point range in that one. The Lions were outmuscled on the boards badly 57-32 (19-6 offensive) and coughed up 14 turnovers for 11 Illini points as well. The good news is that Penn State had hit 71 or more points in eight straight games (a 6-2 run) prior to that defeat. Oregon, meanwhile, has notched 71 or more points in seven straight games themselves (a 5-2 run). Penn State will have to hit the gas on offense in order to keep a good pace here, but I think it’s doable at home.
Andrew’s Pick Penn State Nittany Lions +3
AUTHOR: Andrew Jett
Follow Andrew Jett on Twitter @PickDawgzAndrew