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The Milwaukee Panthers take on the Youngstown State Penguins. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Milwaukee Youngstown State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Milwaukee Youngstown State.
The Horizon League has an exciting race heading into the home stretch. Cleveland State and Northern Kentucky are 11-5 and are still in the hunt, but this game between Milwaukee and Youngstown State is the battle for first place in the league and the top seed in the Horizon League Tournament in a few weeks. The Panthers and Penguins are both 12-4 entering this super showdown on the Penguins' home floor.
What adds to the drama attached to this game is that Youngstown State has never made the NCAA Tournament — not the Division I edition. The Penguins made the Division II NCAA Tournament in the 1970s but have never been part of the main March Madness bracket in their history. They would love to snap that dry spell this year. Getting the top seed to the Horizon League Tournament would move YSU closer to that goal. It's a thrilling time for a program which hasn't tasted the unique joy of seeing its name on a bracket on Selection Sunday.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Milwaukee-Youngstown State College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Milwaukee-Youngstown State Odds
Milwaukee Panthers: +9.5 (-106)
Youngstown State Penguins: -9.5 (-114)
Over: 156.5 (-115)
Under: 156.5 (-105)
How To Watch Milwaukee vs. Youngstown State
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Milwaukee-Youngstown State LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Milwaukee Could Cover the Spread
The Panthers are facing a Youngstown State team which has been less than fully convincing in recent weeks. The Penguins lost their most recent game, falling to Cleveland State. Before that, Youngstown State needed three overtimes to beat Wright State in early February. The Penguins are a good team, but even though they are tied for first in the Horizon League, they are not dominating the opposition.
Milwaukee has won four of its last five games and has shown that it can handle the pressure of close games. The Panthers should be very confident heading into this clash. It's a high-stakes battle with a large spread for Youngstown State. Generally, games between the top two teams in a conference are close. Milwaukee could lose by nine points here and still cover the spread. That seems like a very good play to make.
Why Youngstown State Could Cover the Spread
People will wonder why a game between two co-leaders of a conference in mid-February has a 9.5-point spread. Consider Milwaukee's recent results. Even though the Panthers are 4-1, they lost to Wisconsin-Green Bay, a team which is 2-14 in the Horizon League. In that same five-game stretch, Milwaukee beat last-place IUPUI — 1-16 in the Horizon League — by only three points. The Panthers needed overtime to beat Oakland, too. This team is just barely skating by and is going to get clobbered if it keeps playing at this level. Youngstown State, at home, figures to be the one team in the Horizon League which can really hammer Milwaukee — not just beat the Panthers, but demolish them by 15 to 20 points.
Final Milwaukee-Youngstown State Prediction & Pick
You should stay away from this game, given that the point spread and the importance of the game don't seem to match. Big games between the top two teams in a conference late in the season should ordinarily merit a much smaller spread, but Milwaukee's recent form is eye-opening. This feels weird. Pass on this one.
Final Milwaukee-Youngstown State Prediction & Pick: Milwaukee +9.5
