College Basketball Picks

Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction 1-2-25 College Basketball Picks

Northwestern (10-3) vs. Penn State (11-2)
January 2, 2025 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Penn State -5.5; Over/Under: 144.5
(Get latest betting odds)

In this article, we will formulate a Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction for this college basketball game on Thursday, January 2nd, at the Bryce Jordan Center. Let’s take a look at the Penn State Nittany Lions vs Northwestern Wildcats Pick. 

Penn State Looks to Continue Hot Start

There hasn’t been as much talk the last couple of weeks surrounding this Penn State team, but there should be because they look to be for real. Penn State sits with a 12-2  record and they are coming off another comfortable victory in the last game. Penn State scored 86 points against Penn and that was enough for the 20-point victory. Penn State shot only 22.2 percent from deep and that needs to be better here. From the field, they shot 45.5 percent, and getting out to a hot start is going to be huge. Adrian Baldwin Jr had a huge game putting up 23 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds.


Penn State is averaging 88.2 points while their defense is giving up 67 points per game. The offense is ranked 6th in the league while the defense is ranked 80th. They are shooting 50.4 percent from the field which is 17th in the league. They are also averaging 18.9 assists per game which is 9th in the league. Miles Goodman is dealing with a shoulder injury and is out. Eli Rice has also been ruled out for the season. 

Why Penn State Will Beat Northwestern

  • Penn State has won each of its last nine games at Bryce Jordan Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
  • Northwestern has lost four of its last five road night games against the Big Ten Conference.
  • Northwestern has lost the first half in each of its last three games against the Big Ten Conference.

Northwestern Has Won Four Straight Games

Northwestern has a ton of confidence right now and they have won four straight games. In the last game against Northeastern, the Wildcats scored 85 points and they ended up winning by 25 points. The Wildcats shot 53.6 percent from the field and 36 percent from behind the three-point line. Guard Ty Berry was the top player putting up 23 points, three rebounds, and two assists. There were four different players that put up at least 11 points. Two games ago against DePaul, it was much of the same and they were able to secure the 84-64 victory. 

Northwestern on the season is averaging 74.6 points while their defense is giving up 63.8 points per game. The offense is ranked 212th, while the defense is ranked 28th. They are averaging 59.7 shot attempts per game which is 170th in the league. In this game, Northwestern is going to need the defense to be better. Nick Martinelli has been the top player averaging 20.2 points while shooting 52.8 percent from the field. 

Penn State vs Northwestern Prediction

This game is one that I am most looking forward to and should us a big indication for both teams on how they might fare in the Big Ten. These are both good offensive teams, but Northwestern isn’t going to want to get into a shootout here. Their defense is giving up only 63.8 points per game and their defense is going to step up in a major way here. The pace of this play is going to be slower and this game is going to end up being lower-scoring. Back the under to cash here with ease. 

Shane Mickle's Free Pick: Under

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Shane Mickle

Sports is about all Shane knows in this life! He has a passion for sports and writing, which makes working for Sportschatplace a perfect job for him! If you find him cheering for a team it's usually a Minnesota team, or the Kansas Jayhawks!

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