Michigan State Spartans vs Penn State Nittany Lions Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Penn State vs Michigan State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in East Lansing.

Penn State vs Michigan State Prediction

Planning on watching today's Nittany Lions and Spartans game? Catch the action at Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI, as the Spartans hosts this showdown at 7:30 ET on BTN. The over/under for this Big Ten conference contest is set at 155.5 points, with Michigan State being favored by -10.5 at home against Penn State.

Penn State vs. Michigan State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan State Spartans
Where: East Lansing at Breslin Center
Date: Wednesday, January 15th
Betting Odds MST -10.5, PENNST +390 | MST -530 O/U 155.5

Nittany Lions Preview: Will Penn State Make it Happen on the Road?

Penn State fell to 12-5 on the season after a narrow 82-81 loss to Oregon on Sunday. The Nittany Lions, who were +2.5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread in the loss.

After trailing 41-34 at halftime, Penn State scored 47 points in the 2nd half but allowed 41. The total points for the game reached 163, going over the pre-game line of 155.5.

Nittany Lions Offense Breakdown

Penn State put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 45.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50%. They connected on 36.8% of their threes, going 7-for-19, and hit 85.7% of their free throws, making 12 of 14 attempts. The Nittany Lions grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists as a team.

Freddie Dilione led the way with 21 points, hitting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Nick Kern added 19 points and 8 rebounds, while Jackson Shelstad contributed 17 points and 8 assists, shooting 70% overall and 60% from three.

Nittany Lions Team Defense

Despite Penn State's defensive efforts, they gave up 82 points on 45% shooting from the field. The opposing team managed to hit 24 of their 49 two-point attempts, shooting 49% inside the arc.

From three-point range, the Nittany Lions allowed 7 made threes on 19 attempts, a 36% shooting rate. They also sent the other team to the line 14 times, where they converted 12 free throws (85%). Penn State gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.

Spartans Preview: Are Michigan State Ready for a Home Win?

Michigan State improved to 14-2 on the season with a 78-68 road win over Northwestern on Sunday. The Spartans entered the game as 2-point favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 146 went over the pre-game line of 138.5.

After building a commanding 47-28 lead at halftime, Michigan State allowed 40 points in the second half while scoring 31, making the game closer than expected down the stretch.

Spartans Offense Breakdown

Michigan State put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field and 53.7% in effective field goal percentage. They hit 50% from both two-point and three-point range, going 23/46 inside the arc and 4/8 from deep. At the free-throw line, the Spartans connected on 20 of 27 attempts, good for 74.1%.

Nick Martinelli led the way with 27 points, shooting 44.4% overall and 33.3% from three. Jalen Leach added 17 points and 5 rebounds, while Jeremy Fears Jr. contributed 12 points and 8 assists, hitting 4 of 5 shots, including 1/1 from three.

Spartans Team Defense

Michigan State's defense held their opponent to 68 points on 35% shooting from the field. They allowed 16 two-point field goals on 34 attempts, a 47% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Michigan State limited their opponent to 5 made threes on 25 attempts, a 20% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 27 times, where they made 21 free throws, shooting 77%. Michigan State gave up 14 offensive rebounds.

Nittany Lions vs Spartans Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, Penn State has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 67 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
Michigan State has played well in their previous three home games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 79 points per game while allowing 67. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Penn State has an ATS mark of 1-3-1 while going 0-5 straight up.
Michigan State has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.