Michigan State (14-2) vs Penn State (12-5)
Game Info: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 7:30 pm (Breslin Center)
The Line: Betting Odds: Michigan State -10.5 — Over/Under:
The Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan State Spartans meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Breslin Center. Here’s a Penn State vs Michigan State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Penn State vs Michigan State pick. We will examine:
The Penn State Nittany Lions’ recent form and player performance
The Michigan State Spartans’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Penn State Nittany Lions
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Michigan State Spartans
Recent betting trends in games played between Penn State and Michigan State
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Penn State vs Michigan State game
Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview
Penn State kicked off the year on a great run over their first 14 games, but they’ve struggled amid some tough matchups in the last three. The Nittany Lions lost just two of those first 14 outings to Clemson and Rutgers. Otherwise, it was wins over Binghamton, UMBC, St. Francis PA, Virginia Tech, Fort Wayne, Fordham, Buffalo, Purdue, Coppin State, Drexel, Penn, and Northwestern in that time. Since then, however, Penn State has dropped three in a row versus Indiana, Illinois, and Oregon for a 12-5 overall record through the first 17 games of the year.
In the Oregon matchup on Sunday, the Nittany Lions held a 41-34 deficit going into the second half. Penn State got better from there on a 47-41 run but still lost 82-81 in a tough result by the end of the game. Leading the way in the losing effort was Freddie Dilione with 21 points and two rebounds. Nick Kern added 19 points with eight boards and four assists, while Puff Johnson put up 15 points with five boards, three steals, and two assists. Zach Hicks chipped in with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 34 minutes as well.
Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview
Over on the Michigan State side, they managed a 5-2 run over their first seven games, but it’s been smooth sailing since then. The two losses in those opening seven outings were versus Kansas and Memphis. The wins came versus Monmouth, Niagara, Bowling Green, Samford, and Colorado. Michigan State has been on a nice win streak since then. They’ve taken out Minnesota, Nebraska, Oakland, Florida Atlantic, Western Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, and Northwestern over their last nine games for a 14-2 overall run this season so far.
Matched up against Northwestern in their Sunday game, the Spartans came out of the locker room looking up at a nice 47-28 advantage on the scoreboard. Michigan State posted a 40-31 deficit from there but still emerged with a 78-68 win in the end. Jaden Akins put up 14 points with five steals as the team’s leading scorer, while Jase Richardson came off the bench to provide 13 points, two rebounds, and one assist in 24 minutes of work on the court. Also in double-figures was Jeremy Fears with 12 points and eight assists in 27 minutes.
Why the Michigan State Spartans will win
- Michigan State has won each of its last nine games at Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
- Penn State has lost four of its last five games against Conference opponents.
- Penn State has lost the first half in six of its last eight games against AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win
- Penn State has won three of its last four night games against AP-ranked opponents.
Penn State vs Michigan State Prediction
I’m going to try Penn State in this one. Sure, the Nittany Lions have lost three straight. The good news is that they’ve been competitive in two of those (minus the blowout loss versus Illinois), including the Oregon game. In that one, Penn State shot well (45.6 percent) from the field and had a sizable 36-29 rebounding advantage. The problem? The Lions gave up 54.4 percent shooting to the Ducks. Penn State has surrendered 77 or more points in four straight games (a 1-3 run) but they’re scoring well themselves with 71 or more points in nine of the last 10 outings (a 6-4 run).
Michigan State has hit 69 or more points in all nine installments of this current winning streak, so they’re going to be tough to keep pace with—especially at Breslin Center. I think Penn State can pull it off if they stay active on the boards and bag a few second-chance points, though.