| MATCHUP | Penn State Nittany Lions | Northwestern Wildcats |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 9-11 | 9-11 |
| Where | Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL | |
| When | Thursday, January 29, 2026 | |
| Time | 08:00 PM EST | |
| TV | Peacock | |
Northwestern Wildcats Preview
The Northwestern Wildcats have a 9-11 overall record this season and a 1-8 record in the Big Ten. They are coming off a 71-64 away loss against UCLA and their previous three games were a 74-68 away win against USC, a 77-58 home loss against Nebraska and a 79-68 home loss against Illinois.
Offensively, Northwestern averages 76.5 points per game, while allowing 71.7 points per game defensively. The Wildcats shoot with 46% from the field and grab 33.1 rebounds per game, while dishing out 17.8 assists per game. They average 3.9 blocks per game and 5.4 steals per game defensively.
Nick Martinelli leads Northwestern in scoring, with an average of 23.4 points per game, while shooting with 54.2% from the field and 79.7% from the free throw line, also leading the team in rebounds with 6.8 per game. Jayden Reid leads the team in assists with 5.3 per game.
Penn State Nittany Lions Preview
The Penn State Nittany Lions have a 9-11 overall record this season and a 0-9 record in the Big Ten. They are coming off an 84-78 away loss against Ohio State and their previous three games were a 98-71 home loss against Wisconsin, a 96-73 away loss against Maryland and a 71-60 home loss against UCLA.
Offensively, Penn State averages 76.6 points per game, while allowing 77.8 points per game defensively. The Nittany Lions shoot with 47% from the field and grab 30.7 rebounds per game, while dishing out 13.3 assists per game. They average 1.4 blocks per game and 7.1 steals per game defensively.
Kayden Mingo leads Penn State in scoring, with an average of 14.0 points per game, while shooting with 46.7% from the field and 76.4% from the free throw line, also leading the team in assists with 4.8 per game. Ivan Jurić is the team’s leading rebounder with 5.1 per game.
Penn State Nittany Lions @ Northwestern Wildcats Betting Trends: January 29, 2026
Why the Northwestern Wildcats will win
- Penn State has lost each of its last nine games against Conference opponents.
- Northwestern has won 19 of its last 21 games at Welsh-Ryan Arena when playing with a rest advantage.
- Penn State has lost the first half in each of its last seven games.
Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win
- Penn State has won each of its last six night games at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
- Northwestern has lost nine of its last 10 games against Conference opponents.
- The road team has won the first half in five of Northwestern’s last six games.
Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction
In this Penn State vs Northwestern prediction, Northwestern is coming as -8.5 home favorites. Both teams have identical overall records this season, and both are coming into this matchup in terrible form. Northwestern is 1-6 in its last 7 games, while Penn State is 1-9 in its last 10 and both teams also have identical ATS records, so I see no value on either side. With both offenses struggling lately, as Penn state has scored 73 points or less in five of its last seven games and Northwestern being 7-2 to the under in its last 9 games, I expect a low-scoring affair. Take the under 151.5 points.