Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction 3/10/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction for this Big Ten Tournament 1st Round matchup on Tuesday, March 10th. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this college basketball matchup.

Northwestern Wildcats Preview

The Northwestern Wildcats have a 13-18 overall record and a 5-15 record in the Big Ten conference. They are coming off a 67-66 road loss against Minnesota and their previous three games were a 70-66 home loss against Purdue, a 63-62 home win against Oregon and a 72-68 road win against Indiana.

Offensively, Northwestern averages 73.2 points per game, while allowing 72.2 points per game defensively. The Wildcats shoot with 46% from the field and grab 30.9 rebounds per game, while dishing out 17 assists per game. They average 3.8 blocks per game and 5.7 steals per game defensively.

Nick Martinelli leads Northwestern in scoring, with an average of 22.7 points per game, while shooting with 50.1% from the field and 80.9% from the free throw line, adding a team-high 6.2 rebounds. Jayden Reid leads the team in assists with 4.7 per game.

Penn State Nittany Lions Preview

The Penn State Nittany Lions have a 12-19 overall record and a 3-17 record in the Big Ten conference. They are coming off a 74-62 road loss against Rutgers and their previous three games were a 94-62 home loss against Ohio State, a 71-69 home win against Iowa and an 87-64 road loss against Nebraska.

Offensively, Penn State averages 73.9 points per game, while allowing 79.5 points per game defensively. The Nittany Lions shoot with 47% from the field and grab 29.2 rebounds per game, while dishing out 12.5 assists per game. They average 1.7 blocks per game and 7.1 steals per game defensively.

Freddie Dilione V leads Penn State in scoring, with an average of 14 points per game, while shooting with 47.2% from the field and 82.6% from the free throw line. Ivan Juric is the team’s leading rebounder with 5.2 per game. Kayden Mingo leads the team in assists with 4.3 per game.

Penn State Nittany Lions @ Northwestern Wildcats Betting Trends: March 10, 2026

Why the Northwestern Wildcats will win

• Penn State has lost 11 of its last 12 night games against Conference opponents.
• Northwestern has won three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Penn State has lost the first half in each of its last six games.

Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win

• Penn State has won seven of its last eight night games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.
• Northwestern has lost five of its last six Conference Tournament night games.
• Northwestern has lost the first half in five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Twenty-three of Northwestern’s last 25 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue have produced a total of 145 or fewer points.
• Six of Penn State’s last seven night games have produced a total of 156+ points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Northwestern ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for turnovers per game this season (8.6).
• Northwestern ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for assist to turnover ratio this season (1.98).
• Penn State ranks 363rd among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point percentage this season (39.1%).
• Penn State ranks 362nd among Division 1 teams for opponent field goal percentage this season (50.0%).

Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction

In this Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction, Northwestern is coming as -6.5 favorites. Both teams have almost identical overall records this season and similar ATS records, but Northwestern is 3-1 in its last 4 games, while Penn State has been struggling, with a 2-7 record in its last 9 games. Northwestern destroyed Penn State in their previous meeting this season, winning by 21 points at home and are 3-1 in their last 4 meetings, while having a superior defense this season. Take Northwestern and lay the points in this one.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Northwestern -6.5