Indiana Hoosiers vs Penn State Nittany Lions NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/25

Betting on today’s Hoosiers and Nittany Lions game? Catch the action at The Palestra in Philadelphia, PA, as the Nittany Lions hosts this showdown at 12:00 ET on BTN. This Big Ten conference matchup has an over/under of 156.5 points, and Penn State is favored to win by -6.5 at home vs. Indiana.

INDIANA HOOSIERS VS PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Penn State Nittany Lions -6.5

This game will be played at The Palestra at 12:00 ET on Sunday, January 5th.

WHY BET THE PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-69 in favor of the Nittany Lions.
• Not only will Penn State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -6.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 156.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Can the Hoosiers Offense Score Enough in Philadelphia?

Indiana improved to 11-3 on the season with an 84-74 win over Rutgers on Thursday. Playing at home, the Hoosiers were -7.5 favorites going into the game and covered the spread with the victory.

Indiana led 41-34 at halftime and scored 43 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. The game’s total points ended at 158, surpassing the over/under line of 153.5.

In their last game, Indiana’s offense put up 84 points despite shooting just 38.9% from the field. They connected on 44.4% of their threes, hitting 12 of 27 attempts, while their two-point shooting was just 35.6% (16/45). The Hoosiers grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and dished out 16 assists.

Ace Bailey led the way with 39 points, shooting 55.2% overall and 50% from three (4/8). Myles Rice added 21 points, and Oumar Ballo contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds. Mackenzie Mgbako chipped in 16 points, hitting 3 of 7 from deep.

Indiana’s defense gave up 74 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 38% from the field on 28 of 72 attempts. The Hoosiers held them to 35% shooting from two-point range, where they went 16 for 45.

From beyond the arc, Indiana allowed 12 threes on 27 attempts, a 44% shooting performance. The opposing team also went to the free-throw line 25 times, making 16 for 64%. Indiana gave up 18 offensive rebounds in the game.

Will Penn State Win at Home?

Penn State improved to 12-2 on the season with an 84-80 win over Northwestern on Thursday. The Nittany Lions were favored by 4.5 points at home but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 164 exceeded the over/under line of 144.5.

Penn State led 37-34 at halftime and scored 47 points in the 2nd half while allowing 46. Though they got the win, the defense will need to tighten up moving forward.

Penn State put up 84 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field. They connected on 62.1% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 4 of 15 threes (26.7%). Their effective field goal percentage stood at 54.5%.

The Nittany Lions were strong at the free-throw line, making 36 of 45 attempts (80%). Zach Hicks and Brooks Barnhizer each scored 20 points, with Barnhizer adding 11 rebounds and 8 assists. Ace Baldwin contributed 7 assists despite shooting 1 of 7 from the field.

Despite Penn State’s defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to just 4 three-pointers on 15 attempts, a 26% shooting performance from beyond the arc. However, they couldn’t contain the inside game, allowing 18 two-point baskets on 29 attempts, a 62% shooting rate.

The Nittany Lions also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 45 times, where they converted 36 shots, an 80% success rate. Additionally, Penn State gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.