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The Youngstown State Penguins take on the Robert Morris Colonials. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Youngstown State-Robert Morris prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Youngstown State Robert Morris.
The Horizon League race is going down to the wire, and the Youngstown State Penguins have the inside track. They defeated the Milwaukee Panthers last week to take the lead in the race, and then they won over the weekend to maintain their lead. YSU stands at 14-4 in the Horizon League entering the final weekend of the conference regular season. The Penguins lead 13-5 Cleveland State by one game. Milwaukee suffered a second consecutive loss over the weekend to fall two games back at 12-6, tied with Northern Kentucky. It's all right there for Youngstown State. Two wins will clinch the conference championship and the No. 1 seed at the upcoming Horizon League Tournament.
What adds to the signifiance of YSU's journey and this game in particular is that Youngstown State has never made the NCAA Tournament. There are dozens of schools out of the more than 350 in Division I men's basketball which have never made the Big Dance. Seeing any of these teams break through would be a magical March moment. Youngstown State wants to put itself in the best possible position to achieve that goal.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Youngstown State-Robert Morris College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Youngstown State-Robert Morris Odds
Youngstown State Penguins: -4.5 (-115)
Robert Morris Colonials: +4.5 (-105)
Over: 142.5 (-114)
Under: 142.5 (-106)
How To Watch Youngstown State vs. Robert Morris
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Article Continues Below
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Youngstown State-Robert Morris LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Youngstown State Could Cover the Spread
The Penguins have answered the challenge to this point in the Horizon League season. They were emphatically better than Milwaukee last Thursday in a meeting of 12-4 teams atop the conference. Milwaukee is fading, while Youngstown State is definitely maintaining its position in the conference and is fending off all challengers. Robert Morris is a middle-of-the-pack team in the Horizon League. The Colonials are not a pushover to be sure, but they're also not a high-end team at the top of the conference. The cream rises to the top at this time of year in a college basketball season. Youngstown State bears that distinction, and “Bobby Mo” clearly does not. It's a natural point of separation between the two teams. YSU is clearly more trustworthy in a head-to-head comparison, and the spread is not that large. A five-point Penguin victory covers the spread.
Why Robert Morris Could Cover the Spread
The pressure of March seems like it's already here in late February. Youngstown State has been hunting down the Horizon League title, but now the Penguins are the team to beat, and the team everyone else in the Horizon League wants to take down. The transition from being the hunter to being the hunted team could catch up with YSU in this game. Robert Morris, playing at home, can let loose and try to play spoiler. It's not an easy situation for Youngstown State, and much more psychologically comfortable for the underdog, Robert Morris. There's a very good chance this game will go down to the wire, in which case the 4.5-point spread has a good chance of being covered by the underdog.
Final Youngstown State-Robert Morris Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this game. The spread is well-placed and the way YSU will react to late-season pressure is hard to calibrate. Maybe look for a live play here.
Final Youngstown State-Robert Morris Prediction & Pick: Youngstown State -4.5
