Sacred Heart vs Penn State Prediction 11/29/2025 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Sacred Heart Pioneers and the Penn State Nittany Lions will meet on Saturday evening in a regular season contest at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview

The Penn State Nittany Lions enter Saturday’s contest with a 6–1 win‑loss record. Penn State has amassed wins over Harvard, La Salle, Navy, Fairfield, Bucknell, and Rider. The Nittany Lions single loss came against Providence. In Penn State’s thrilling 84–80 victory over Harvard nine days ago, guard Kayden Mingo compiled 24 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.

The Penn State Nittany Lions are averaging 81.6 points per game on 50.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.8 percent shooting from the three‑point line. Defensively, the Nittany Lions are allowing opponents 70.7 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the field.

Freshman guard Kayden Mingo has been a steady contributor for the Nittany Lions, averaging 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Freshman guard Melih Tunca provides perimeter versatility, averaging 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. Senior forward Josh Reed anchors the paint with 10.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Sacred Heart Pioneers Betting Preview

The Sacred Heart Pioneers enter Saturday’s contest with a 2–4 win-loss record. The Pioneers have compiled wins over Merchant Marine and Holy Cross, while dropping games to Villanova, Queens University, Duquesne, and Central Connecticut. In the Sacred Heart Pioneers narrow 108–106 loss to the Central Connecticut Blue Devils four days ago, forward Anquan Hill certainly played at a high level. More specifically, Hill tallied 34 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in the Pioneers defeat of the Blue Devils.

The Pioneers are averaging 77.8 points on 41.8 percent shooting from the field per game. The Sacred Heart Pioneers are allowing opponents 88.2 points per game.

Junior forward Anquan Hill leads the team in the scoring department, averaging 18.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Senior guard Dashon Gittens contributes 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.2 steals per contest. Junior guard Nyle Ralph‑Beyer is averaging 10 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game.

Why the Penn State Nittany Lions Will Win

•            Elite guard play. Through seven games played in the 2025 season, the Penn State Nittany Lions have three guards averaging over 10 points per game.

•            Balanced scoring attack. Five players average at least 9.3 points per game, giving the Penn State Nittany Lions multiple options on the offensive side of the basketball.

•            Home court advantage. The Nittany Lions are unbeaten at the Bryce Jordan Center this season. 

Why the Sacred Heart Pioneers will win

•            Junior forward Anquan Hill’s scoring ability. Hill is averaging 18.7 points per game and provides interior presence.

•            Senior guard Dashon Gittens’ two‑way impact. Gittens averages 15.6 points and 2.2 steals per game.

•            Sacred Heart has shown resilience in close contests, including a narrow 108–106 loss to the Central Connecticut Blue Devils.

Penn State vs. Sacred Heart Prediction

Expect the Sacred Heart Pioneers to compete early behind Hill and Gittens. However, I expect Penn State’s depth and relentless pace to wear down the Pioneers. What makes this game particularly difficult for Sacred Heart is Penn State’s defensive versatility. With rim protection and rebounding from Reed and Jurić, the Nittany Lions can limit second‑chance opportunities while forcing the Pioneers into contested shots. If Penn State’s perimeter shooters get hot, the margin could widen quickly, turning this into another statement win for the Nittany Lions. I am backing the Penn State Nittany Lions to cover the 15.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Penn State -15.5