Penn State Nittany Lions vs Purdue Boilermakers Betting Pick & Prediction 1/13/24

Looking to win big? The Nittany Lions and Boilermakers face off at 2:15 ET on BTN. The Boilermakers are hosting the game at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, IN. This Big Ten conference matchup has an over/under of 152 points, and the Boilermakers are favored to win at home vs. the Nittany Lions.

PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS VS PURDUE BOILERMAKERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Penn State Nittany Lions +18.5

This game will be played at Mackey Arena at 2:15 ET on Saturday, January 13th.

WHY BET THE PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Boilermakers.
• Even though we have Purdue winning straight-up, we like Penn State at +18.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 152 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Can Penn State Grab a Win on the Road?

Today, Penn State will be playing in its sixth road game of the season, and so far, the team has not won a single game away from home. In fact, the Nittany Lions have lost their last five games on the road by an average of 14.2 points per game.

For the season, Penn State has a record of 8-8, and in Big Ten play, the team is 2-3. As the underdog, the Nittany Lions have gone 2-5, and they have lost their last three games away from home.

As the underdog, Penn State has gone 3-4 vs. the spread this season and they are 6-10 overall. Their road ATS mark is just 1-4 and their last three road games vs. the spread is 1-2.

This season, the over/under record for Penn State games is 9-6-1, and the average scoring total is 148.4 points. Today’s over/under line of 152 is higher than the average OU line in their games (143.8). So far, 14 of their games have had lower OU lines than 152. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 150 points.

In their recent game, the Nittany Lions’ offense concluded with 72 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 76.2 points per contest. Coming into the game, the Nittany Lions offense has strugled with their outside shot this season, hitting threes at a rate of just 29%. On average, they get up 24.8 three-point attempts per game and are averaging 16.4 made free-throws.

At this time, the Nittany Lions’ defense is positioned 179th in the country, permitting 72.2 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Penn State’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 45.4% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 31.8% this season.

Will the Boilermakers Defense Show Up at Home?

After losing their last game to Nebraska by a score of 88-72, Purdue will look to get back on track and extend their 11-game home winning streak. The Boilermakers have an average scoring margin of +21.7 points per game at home this season.

Overall, Purdue has a record of 14-2, including a perfect 11-0 mark at home. They have been the favorite in 15 of their 16 games, going 13-2 in those contests.

As the favorite, Purdue has gone just 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games. At home, their ATS mark is 6-3-1 this season. Over their last three home games, the Boilermakers are just 1-2 ATS.

Today’s over/under line of 152 is higher than the average over/under line in Purdue’s games this season (147.7). So far, 10 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 147 points.

Compared to their season average of 84.4 points per game, Purdue struggled in their previous game. Against Nebraska, the Boilermakers scored 72 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 42.1%. The top scorer for the Boilermakers was Mason Gillis with 16 points, while Zach Edey also chipped in with 15 points.

The Boilermakers’ defense is presently ranked 113rd nationally, allowing an average of 69.0 points per contest. In today’s game vs. Penn State, the Purdue defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Purdue made 16 free-throws vs. the Boilermakers.