Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Matchup

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

Minnesota vs Penn State Prediction

Betting on today's Golden Gophers and Nittany Lions game? Catch the action at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA, as the Nittany Lions hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on BTN. The odds for this Big Ten conference game currently have Penn State as the -8 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 141.5 points.

Minnesota vs. Penn State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Minnesota Golden Gophers at Penn State Nittany Lions
Where: University Park at Bryce Jordan Center
Date: Tuesday, February 4th
Betting Odds PENNST -8, MINNST +295 | PENNST -377 O/U 141.5

Golden Gophers Preview: Will Minnesota Be The Talk of Bryce Jordan Center?

Minnesota Golden Gophers Recent Game/Games

The Gophers dropped to 11-11 this season after a 71-68 home loss to Washington on Saturday. Minnesota, favored by four points, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 40-30 at halftime, Minnesota outscored Washington 38-31 in the 2nd half but couldn’t complete the comeback. The game’s total points of 139 went over the 134.5 O/U line.

Golden Gophers Offense Breakdown

The Golden Gophers put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 52.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 59.1%. They connected on 60.7% of their two-point attempts and hit 37.5% from beyond the arc, going 6-for-16 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, they shot 66.7%, making 16 of 24 attempts.

Dawson Garcia and Tyler Harris both shot 9-for-12 from the field, with Harris going 4-for-4 from three-point range. Garcia finished with 28 points and 4 assists, while Harris added 23 points. The Gophers recorded 17 assists as a team, with Vazoumana Diallo contributing 5 assists to go along with his 11 points.

Golden Gophers Team Defense

Even with Minnesota's defense giving up 71 points, the Golden Gophers couldn't capitalize, as they allowed their opponent to shoot 52% from the field. The other team was particularly effective inside, hitting 60% of their two-point attempts, going 17/28.

Beyond the arc, Minnesota's opponent shot 37%, making 6 of their 16 three-point attempts. The Golden Gophers also sent them to the line 24 times, where they converted 16 free throws for 66%. Minnesota limited second chances, giving up just 5 offensive rebounds.

Nittany Lions Preview: Can Penn State Pull Off a Home Win?

Penn State Nittany Lions Recent Game/Games

Penn State’s season record dropped to 13-9 after an 83-64 home loss to Ohio State on Thursday. The Nittany Lions were -3.5 favorites going into the game but failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 43-33 at halftime, Penn State couldn’t mount a comeback, scoring 31 points in the second half while allowing 40. The game’s total points of 147 narrowly missed the O/U line of 147.5.

Nittany Lions Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Penn State's offense put up 64 points, shooting 45.7% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 52.2%, with a 55.6% success rate on two-point shots. From beyond the arc, they hit 6 of 19 attempts, shooting 31.6% from three-point range.

At the free-throw line, the Nittany Lions struggled, connecting on just 55.2% of their 29 attempts. They managed only 4 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists. Yanic Konan Niederhauser led the team with 21 points, shooting 57.1% from the field, while John Mobley Jr. contributed 19 points and 8 assists.

Nittany Lions Team Defense

Despite Penn State's defensive efforts, they gave up 83 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 45% from the field. Inside the arc, Penn State allowed 15 of 27 shots to fall, resulting in a 55% two-point shooting percentage for their opponent.

From beyond the three-point line, Penn State held the opposing team to 6 made threes on 19 attempts, a 31% shooting rate. The Nittany Lions also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 16 of those attempts, shooting 55%. Penn State limited the damage on the boards, giving up just 4 offensive rebounds.

Golden Gophers vs Nittany Lions Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past three road matchups, Minnesota has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 64 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
Across their last three home contests, Penn State has a 3-0 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 0-3, while averaging 77 points per game.
The Golden Gophers have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
As the betting favorite, the Nittany Lions have an ATS mark of just 4-6 in their last ten games. Penn State posted a straight up mark of 8-2 in these matchups.