UMBC vs Penn State Prediction College Basketball Picks 11/8/24

The Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers are visiting the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday, November 8th 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 Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction.

Penn State Nittany Lions Preview

The Penn State Nittany Lions are coming off a mediocre 16-17 season, finishing 15th in the Big Ten with a 9-11 conference record. The Lions had a dominating 13-4 home record but struggled on the road, with just 2-8. Penn State was 16-14-1 against the spread and 20-11 in over/under.

In their season opener on Monday, the Lions won Binghampton at home, 108-66. Penn State managed to cover the -20.5-point spread and the game went over the 148.5-point total. The Lions’ 108 points were 19th in the nation, while their 66 points allowed were 158th. Penn State shot an effective 51% from the field, while dominating the glass, out-rebounding Binghampton by 37-27.

Penn State had a balanced offensive effort on Monday, as six of their players scored double digits. Senior forward Zach Hicks led the Lions with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, while junior forward Yanic Konan Niederhauser added 16 points and 7 rebounds. Penn State will face St. Francis (PA) following this one.

Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers Preview

The Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers are coming off an underwhelming 11-21 season, finishing 7th in the AE with a 6-10 conference record. Maryland-Baltimore County had a 6-9 home record and was slightly worse on the road with 5-12. Maryland-Baltimore County was 17-13 ATS and 16-14 in over/under.

Offensively, Maryland-Baltimore County boasted an elite offense with 78.7 points per game, which ranked 57th nationally. Defensively, they were bottom-10 in the nation as they allowed 80.7 points per game (353rd). The Retrievers had elite shooting percentages last season, with 46.6% from the field (66th) and 35.7% from beyond the arc (89th). The Retrievers’ free throw percentage was much less efficient at 69.8% (279th).

The Retrievers’ offense was led by senior guard Dion Brown with 19 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds. Freshman guard Marcus Banks added 15.1 points and 3.9 rebounds. UMBC will take on Coppin State and Saint Peter’s after this game.

Why the Penn State Nittany Lions will win

• Penn State has won each of its last 11 night games against non-conference opponents at Bryce Jordan Center.
• UMBC has lost each of its last seven road games following a home win.
• Penn State has won the first half in 15 of its last 16 games against non-conference opponents at Bryce Jordan Center.

Why the UMBC Retrievers will win

• UMBC has won the first half in eight of its last nine games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction

Penn State has won both previous meetings against Maryland-Baltimore County but went 1-1 against the spread. In this Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, Penn State is coming as a big -19.5-point home favorite. Penn State is projected at a strong #45 in the nation this season, while Maryland-Baltimore County is projected at #234. Penn State scored a robust 108 points in their opener and Maryland-Baltimore County combined elite offense with struggling defense last season with 160.4 average total points. The Lions were 20-11 to the over so they had a trend for high-scoring games, which I believe will continue again today. Take Over the total.