Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction, 1/21/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Penn State Nittany Lions

Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023

Location: Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA

TV: fuboTV

The Penn State Nittany Lions (12-6) will go up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-9) at Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers stepped onto the hardwood against Ohio State and took home the win by a score of 63-60 in their last game. Nebraska finished the contest having earned a 41.1% field goal percentage (23 out of 56) and buried 6 out of their 21 three-point shots. At the free throw line, the Cornhuskers made 11 of their 17 tries for a percentage of 64.7%. In regard to pulling down boards, they earned a total of 37 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 11 assists for this game while forcing the opposition into 11 turnovers and having 5 steals. When discussing the defense, Nebraska allowed the other team to go 35.7% from the field on 20 of 56 shooting. Ohio State distributed 9 dimes and had 6 steals in this contest. In addition, Ohio State pulled down 36 rebounds (6 offensive, 30 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. Ohio State went 65.2% when shooting free throws by knocking down 15 of their 23 shots. They buried 5 out of their 17 attempts from distance. Regarding personal fouls, the Cornhuskers ended up finishing with 17 and Ohio State totaled 16 personal fouls.

Sam Griesel is a player who came through for the matchup. He finished shooting 44.4% from the field and also earned 3 assists. He played 33 minutes played and also grabbed 7 rebounds. He totaled 15 points on 4 of 9 shooting.

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Nebraska enters this game with a record of 10-9 this year. They are losing possession via turnover 12.9 times per game and as a group they are committing 13.8 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, Nebraska is pulling in 36.8 boards per contest and is sitting with 249 assists for the year, which has them ranked 187th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. The Cornhuskers are connecting on 30.0% on shots from downtown (116 of 387) and 64.1% from the free throw line. They are averaging 66.2 pts per contest (315th in Division 1) while hitting 43.9% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Cornhuskers are able to force 12.3 turnovers every game while drawing 16.6 personal fouls. They rank 334th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 286 conceded on the year. The Cornhuskers are allowing a FG percentage of 41.7% (479 of 1,149) and they relinquish 35.6 boards per contest as a group. They surrender 32.4% from 3-point land and they are 115th in Division 1 in points per game allowed (66.8).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Penn State Nittany Lions took a loss by a score of 63-60 when they faced Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions were able to snag 27 defensive boards and 4 offensive rebounds for a total of 31 for this contest. They also coughed up the ball 10 times, while earning 3 steals in this contest. Wisconsin was called for 13 fouls in the matchup which got the Nittany Lions to the free throw line for a total of 11 tries. They were able to make 8 of them for a rate of 72.7%. With regard to shots from distance, Penn State buried 8 of their 20 attempts (40.0%). When the game finished, the Nittany Lions finished shooting 22 out of 49 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 44.9%. The Nittany Lions permitted Wisconsin to convert 23 out of their 54 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 42.6% for the matchup. They wrapped up this game 41.2% from 3-point land by connecting on 7 out of 17 and ended up going 10 out of 16 from the free throw line (62.5%). When it comes to rebounding, Penn State permitted Wisconsin to grab 28 in total (5 offensive).

Jalen Pickett was important for the Nittany Lions for the game. He made 8 out of 15 in the matchup giving him a rate of 53.3%, and had 12 rebounds. He accumulated 19 points in his 40 minutes of playing time and accounted for 6 dimes in this contest.

Penn State has a mark of 12-6 so far this year. On the offensive side of the court, the Nittany Lions are hitting on 46.5% from the field, which has them ranked 80th in college hoops. Penn State has accounted for 1,341 pts for the campaign (74.5 per contest) and they grab 33.6 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 14.8 times per contest (86th in college basketball) and they are turning it over 8.7 times per game. The Nittany Lions have committed 15.4 fouls per contest and they go 77.6% from the charity stripe.

The Penn State defense allows 33.7% on 3-point attempts (136 of 403) and opponents are making 70.9% of their free throw shots. They relinquish 13.7 dimes and 36.4 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is ranked 250th and 291st in the country. The Nittany Lions defensively are ranked 122nd in the country in points allowed per game with 67.1. They are forcing their opponents into 9.9 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 41.3% from the floor (83rd in the nation).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Penn State

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