Penn State at Iowa College Basketball Picks & Predictions 12/2/2017

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Get todays College basketball odds and lines on this game.

The Penn State Nittany Lions travel to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to play the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, December 2, 2017. The opening line for this game has Penn State as 1 point favorites.

Penn State heads into this matchup with a mark of 6-2. They currently have a point differential of 14.1 as they are averaging 81.5 points per contest while giving up 67.4 per game. Iowa has an overall record of 4-3. They are averaging 80.7 points per game and surrendering 74.0, good for a point differential of 6.7.

Valuable Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Trends

The Penn State Nittany Lions are 4-2 against the spread this season

The Penn State Nittany Lions are 2-4 against the over/under this year

Important Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Trends

The Iowa Hawkeyes are 1-3 against the spread this season

The Iowa Hawkeyes are 2-2 against the over/under this year

Key Penn State Nittany Lions Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Iowa Hawkeyes Injuries

11/19/17 G Connor McCaffery Ankle is out indefinitely

Player Spotlight

Lamar Stevens averages 14.4 points per game in 30.4 minutes per contest this season. He averages 2 assists per contest and 6.9 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 43% for the year while his free throw percentage is 79%. Tony Carr averages 21.3 points per game while playing 29.7 minutes per night this season. He pulls down 4.3 rebounds per game and dishes out 4.3 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 42% while his free throw percentage is at 83%.

Player Spotlight

Tyler Cook averages 14.1 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 25.7 minutes per contest. He also averages 6.6 rebounds per contest and 1.1 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 59% and his free throw percentage is 73%. Jordan Bohannon averages 14.1 points per game while playing 29.4 minutes per contest this year. He grabs 1.4 rebounds per game and has 4.9 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 42% and his free throw percentage is at 88%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Nittany Lions allow 67.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 97th in the nation. They also allow a 41% shooting percentage and a 39% average from behind the arc, ranking them 96th and 307th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 33.0 rebounds a game which ranks 106th, and they give up 11.4 assists per contest, which puts them in 85th place in the country. They force 18.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 328th in college basketball. Penn State averages 81.5 points per contest this season, which ranks them 80th in Division 1. Their average scoring margin is 14.1 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team, which has them ranked 99th. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 188th in D-1. They average 38.3 rebounds per game and 13.6 assists per game, which ranks them 124th and 195th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 127th with 14.4 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Hawkeyes surrender 74.0 points per contest, which ranks them 220th in the country. Their defense allows a 43% shooting percentage and a 32% average from 3-point range, ranking them 165th and 113th in those defensive statistics. They rank 270th with 14.9 assists allowed per contest, and 173rd with 34.9 rebounds surrendered per game. The Hawkeyes are 92nd in the nation in forcing turnovers with 12.9 per game this season. Iowa is 94th in Division 1 with 80.7 points per game this year. They are 80th in the country in shooting at 48%, while their average scoring margin is 6.7. They shoot 40% from 3-point range, which is good for 44th in the nation. They are 87th in college basketball in rebounding with 39.1 boards per game and 36th in assists per contest with 17.6. The Hawkeyes are 188th in turnovers per game with 13.4.

Advanced Statistics

The Nittany Lions are 117th in the nation in offensive rating with 109.6, and their defensive rating of 90.6 is ranked 49th. In terms of pace they are 70th in the country with 74.4 possessions per 40 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 52% is 152nd. As a team they are 142nd in college basketball in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 29% of their shots, ranking 315th in Division 1. Penn State is 182nd in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 16.4 times per 100 possessions while forcing 21.9 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 47%, which is 98th in the nation.

Advanced Statistics

Iowa is 196th in the country in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 16.2 times per 100 possessions while forcing 15.3 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 48%, which is 131st in Division 1. The Hawkeyes are 243rd in the nation in defensive rating with 103.4, and their offensive rating of 112.8 is ranked 68th. They are 176th in D-1 in pace with 71.6 possessions per 40 minutes, and their eFG% of 55% is 71st. As a unit they are 74th in college basketball in true shooting percentage with 58% and they shoot 3-pointers on 36% of their shot attempts, ranking 192nd in the country.

Who will win tonight's Penn State/Iowa college basketball game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Iowa +1

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