Penn State (7-1) vs Purdue (7-1)
Game Info: Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 6:30 pm (Bryce Jordan Center)
The Line: Betting Odds: Penn State -1.5 / Purdue +1.5 — Over/Under: 150.5
The Purdue Boilermakers are visiting the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday, December 5th at the Bryce Jordan Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction.
Penn State Nittany Lions Preview
The Penn State Nittany Lions have a 7-1 record this season and are coming off an 87-64 win over Buffalo. The Lions are 4-4 against the spread, and 3-5 in over/under while having a 5-0 home record.
Offensively, Penn State is averaging 91.3 points per game, which is the third-best in the nation. Defensively, they allow 67.5 points per game (102nd). The Lions shoot 52.2% from the field, which is the 5th-best nationally, and 38.1% from beyond the arc (46th). The Lions shoot 71.1% from the free-throw line (187th) and are grabbing 37.8 rebounds per game (138th).
Ace Baldwin leads Penn State in scoring, with an average of 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and a team-high 8.4 assists, while Yanic Konan Niederhauser adds 14.3 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds.
Purdue Boilermakers Preview
The Purdue Boilermakers have a 7-1 record this season and are coming off an 80-78 win in Ole Miss. The Boilermakers are 4-4 against the spread, and 3-4-1 in over/under while having a 0-1 road record.
Offensively, Purdue is averaging 78.8 points per game, which ranks 126th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 68.1 points per game (118th). The Boilermakers shoot with 49.9% from the field (28th) and with 42.1% from beyond the arc (7th). The Boilermakers shoot 71.1% from the free-throw line (187th) and are grabbing 34.9 rebounds per game (262nd).
Trey Kaufmann-Renn leads Purdue in scoring this season, with an average of 19.1 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds, while Fletcher Loyer adds 13.8 points.
Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win
- Penn State has won each of its last seven games at Bryce Jordan Center.
- Penn State has won the first half in 12 of its last 14 games at Bryce Jordan Center.
Why the Purdue Boilermakers will win
- Purdue has won each of its last 11 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Penn State has lost each of its last eight games when playing with a rest disadvantage against Purdue.
- Purdue has won the first half in each of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction
Purdue has won their last 8 meetings against Penn State, but Penn State is 4-2 against the spread in their last 6 meetings. Over is 3-1 in their last 4 meetings. In their most recent meeting back in February, Purdue won 95-87 at home. In this Purdue Boilermakers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, Penn State is coming as a -1.5 home favorite. Penn State is superior offensively, scoring 12.5 points more than Purdue, while Purdue is better defensively, allowing 0.6 points less. The Lions are winning by an average of 23.8 points per game and both teams are very efficient in shooting this season, as the Lions are the 5th-best in field goal percentage and the Boilermaker 7th-best in 3-point percentage. Both teams average 170.1 points per game combined, so I’m expecting a high-scoring affair today. Take over the total.