Penn State Nittany Lions vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, 1/20/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Saturday, January 20, 2024

Location: Value City Arena in Columbus, OH

TV: BTN

Value City Arena is the site where the Ohio State Buckeyes (12-5) will go up against the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-9) on Saturday.

The Penn State Nittany Lions stepped onto the hardwood against Wisconsin and went home with a win by a final score of 87-83 in their last contest. Penn State ended the game having earned a 53.3% FG percentage (32 out of 60) and knocked down 8 out of their 20 3-point shots. From the free throw line, the Nittany Lions converted 15 of their 20 shots for a percentage of 75.0%. In regard to grabbing rebounds, they earned 22 with 3 of them being of the offensive variety. They also recorded 11 dimes for this contest as well as forcing 13 turnovers and getting 8 steals. In reference to defending, Penn State allowed the other team to shoot 48.3% from the floor on 28 out of 58 shooting. Wisconsin dished out 15 assists and had 2 steals for this game. Moreover, Wisconsin snagged 35 rebounds (11 offensive, 24 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Wisconsin finished the game shooting 87.0% at the charity stripe by knocking down 20 of 23 shots. They also knocked down 7 of 16 attempts from beyond the arc. With respect to fouls, the Nittany Lions ended up finishing with 22 while Wisconsin recorded 16 fouls.

Kanye Clary is someone who was important in the game. He went 55.0% from the floor and also recorded 3 assists. He was on the hardwood for 38 mins played and also grabbed 4 rebounds. He finished with 27 points on 11 of 20 shooting.

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Penn State comes into this one with a win-loss mark of 9-9 on the year. They are losing possession via turnover 11.1 times per contest and as a unit are committing 18.0 fouls per game. As a unit, Penn State is snagging 32.2 boards per game and is sitting with 214 dimes on the campaign, which ranks 252nd in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Nittany Lions are shooting 30.3% on shots from downtown (135 of 445) and 73.9% from the free throw line. They are averaging 76.9 points per game (120th in D-1) on 43.8% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Nittany Lions are able to force 16.4 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.2 personal fouls. They are conceding 33.1% from 3-point land and they rank 253rd in D-1 in PPG from their opponents (74.1). The Nittany Lions are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 45.8% (475 of 1,037) and they surrender 38.2 rebounds per contest as a squad. They are currently ranked 339th in college hoops in giving up assists with 270 surrendered for the campaign.

When they last stepped on the court, the Ohio State Buckeyes walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 73-65 against Michigan. When discussing how they attacked the glass, Ohio State allowed Michigan to grab 37 in total (10 offensive). They finished 52.2% from three-point range by going 12 out of 23 and walked away from this one shooting 7 out of 10 at the free throw line (70.0%). The Buckeyes allowed Michigan to bury 27 out of their 64 attempts from the field which gave them a rate of 42.2% in this matchup. When all was said and done, the Buckeyes shot 25 for 66 from the floor which had them shooting 37.9%. Regarding shooting from distance, Ohio State knocked down 3 of their 25 tries (12.0%). They were able to convert 12 of them for a percentage of 85.7%. Michigan earned 15 personal fouls for this game which took the Buckeyes to the free throw line for 14 shots. They also gave up possession 4 times, while earning 4 steals for the game. The Buckeyes were able to collect 24 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive boards totaling 34 for the game.

Bruce Thornton was important for the Buckeyes for the matchup. He converted 8 of 19 for this game for a rate of 42.1%, and accumulated 6 rebounds. He earned 19 points in his 38 mins on the court and accounted for 1 assist for the contest.

Ohio State has a win-loss record of 12-5 for the season. The Buckeyes are responsible for committing 16.4 fouls per game and they shoot 74.7% from the free throw line. They are dishing out assists 14.6 times per contest (111th in D-1) and they are turning it over 10.9 times per game. Ohio State has scored 1,297 points for the season (76.3 per game) and they grab 39.5 rebounds per game. As an offense, the Buckeyes are hitting on 44.6% from the floor, which is ranked 199th in college hoops.

The Ohio State defense concedes 32.7% from downtown (112 of 343) and their opposition knocks down 67.0% of their shots from the free throw line. They give up 10.4 assists and 33.5 rebounds per game, which ranks them 21st and 112th in the country. The Buckeyes are ranked 73rd in Division 1 in PPG given up with 66.5. They are forcing 11.3 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 41.7% from the field (100th in Division 1).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Penn State

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