The Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Northwestern Wildcats. Our Big Ten Tournament odds series has our Penn State Northwestern prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Penn State Northwestern.
The Penn State Nittany Lions entered the first week of March on the bad side of the bubble in the quest for an NCAA Tournament bid. Then they found some last-second magic, and the “last-second” part of that description is literally true. Penn State beat Northwestern on a bucket in the final second of overtime. PSU trailed Northwestern by 10 in the first half and by six late in regulation before rallying to tie. Then Penn State grabbed an offensive rebound and made a kickout pass for a winning shot with 0.5 seconds left in OT.
In PSU's next game, the Nittany Lions once again won in the last second, scoring with tenths of a second left after grabbing another offensive rebound and putting it back to beat Maryland by one point. Those two wins totally changed Penn State's bubble outlook. The Nittany Lions needed one more win to fully lock up an NCAA Tournament bid, and they got it on Thursday at the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Illinois to win their third game of the season against the Fighting Illini. Penn State is now definitely in the field. The Nittany Lions are playing for seeding and a possible Big Ten Tournament championship.
One thing worth noting about this tournament is that in seven games, higher seeds have won just twice. They are 2-5. Penn State will try to deliver yet another win for a lower seed at the Big Ten Tournament. Northwestern's No. 2 seed at this event is the highest seed in NU history. The Wildcats will try to live up to their seed this March, as they prepare for their second NCAA Tournament.
Here are the Penn State-Northwestern Big Ten Tournament odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
Big Ten Tournament Odds: Penn State-Northwestern Odds
Penn State Nittany Lions: +1.5 (-110)
Northwestern Wildcats: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 130.5 (-110)
Under: 130.5 (-110)
How To Watch Penn State vs. Northwestern
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: Fox Sports App and FuboTV
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET, 3:30 p.m. PT
*Watch Penn State-Northwestern LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Penn State Could Cover The Spread
The Nittany Lions are on a magical March run. Two last-second wins followed by a Big Ten Tournament win indicate that the Nittany Lions are playing with confidence, composure, poise, and toughness. Everything is coming together for head coach Micah Shrewsbury, who has his players believing they can achieve anything. Northwestern is a good team, but it is not a dominant team. Penn State is riding the wave, and given how many lower seeds are winning at the Big Ten Tournament, you should definitely not look at the bracket and think that just because Northwestern is a 2 seed and PSU a 10 seed, NU will obviously win. No. It doesn't work like that. PSU is playing better basketball right now.
Why Northwestern Could Cover The Spread
The Wildcats led Penn State by six points late in regulation over a week ago but didn't play great defense down the stretch. NU then clamped down on Rutgers a few days later, showing that its defense can still perform at a high level. Northwestern's defense can play better. If it does play better against Penn State, the Wildcats will win.
Final Penn State-Northwestern Prediction & Pick
Penn State is a hot team, but Northwestern seemed to get its defense in order versus Rutgers. Stay away from this game. It feels like a coin flip.
Final Penn State-Northwestern Prediction & Pick: Penn State +1.5
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