Oregon Ducks vs Penn State Nittany Lions NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/12/25
The Ducks and Nittany Lions are set to face off at 4:00 ET on BTN. The Nittany Lions will host the game at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA. In this Big Ten matchup, Oregon is favored bt -2.5 vs. Penn State. The over/under for the game is 154.5 points.
OREGON DUCKS VS PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Penn State Nittany Lions +2.5
This game will be played at Bryce Jordan Center at 4:00 ET on Sunday, January 12th.
WHY BET THE PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-68 in favor of the Nittany Lions.
- Not only will Penn State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +2.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 154.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.
Taking a Look at the Ducks Chances on the Road
Oregon improved to 14-2 on the season with a 73-71 road win over Ohio State on Thursday. The Ducks entered the game as +2.5 point underdogs and covered the spread with the victory.
After trailing 32-27 at halftime, Oregon turned things around in the second half, scoring 46 points while allowing 39. The game’s total points of 144 fell short of the 149.5 O/U line.
Jackson Shelstad’s 24 points on 72.7% shooting, including 4-of-6 from three, helped lead the Ducks to 73 points in their last game. Nate Bittle added 21 points, hitting 4-of-8 from deep, while Bruce Thornton contributed 20 points, shooting 50% overall.
Oregon shot 42.1% from the field and 36% from three, with an effective field goal percentage of 49.1%. They connected on 16-of-22 free throws (72.7%) and grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, finishing with just 9 assists as a team.
Oregon’s defense gave up 71 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field, hitting 24 of their 57 attempts. Inside the arc, the Ducks allowed 17 two-point field goals on 39 attempts, a 43% shooting rate.
From three-point range, Oregon’s opponents connected on 7 of 18 shots, shooting 38%. The Ducks also sent them to the free-throw line 19 times, where they made 16, an 84% success rate. Oregon allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.
Do the Nittany Lions Have What it Takes at Home?
Penn State’s season record dropped to 12-4 after a tough 91-52 road loss to Illinois on Wednesday, January 8th. The Nittany Lions, who entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread.
Penn State trailed 45-21 at halftime and allowed 46 points in the 2nd half while scoring 31. The game’s total points of 143 fell short of the O/U line of 163.5.
In their latest game, Penn State’s offense struggled, managing just 52 points on 30.8% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 32.3%, and they hit only 2 of 12 three-point attempts, shooting 16.7% from beyond the arc.
The Nittany Lions recorded just 6 offensive rebounds and 6 assists. At the free-throw line, they connected on 10 of 14 attempts, shooting 71.4%.
Despite Penn State allowing 91 points, their defense did manage to hold the opposing team to 32% from beyond the arc, with the other team hitting 10 of 31 three-point attempts. However, the Nittany Lions struggled to contain two-point shots, as the other team connected on 52% of their attempts, going 24 for 46 from inside the arc.
From the free-throw line, the opposing team made 13 of 16 attempts, shooting 81%. Penn State also gave up 19 offensive rebounds, which contributed to their defensive struggles in this game.