Who's Playing
Penn State @ Northwestern
Current Records: Penn State 6-5; Northwestern 8-3
What to Know
The Northwestern Wildcats and the Penn State Nittany Lions are set to square off in a Big Ten matchup at 9 p.m. ET Jan. 5 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Penn State will be strutting in after a victory while the Wildcats will be stumbling in from a defeat.
Northwestern entered their contest against the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday without any home losses -- but there's a first time for everything. Northwestern was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 73-67 to MSU. Forward Pete Nance wasn't much of a difference maker for Northwestern; Nance finished with 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting in his 28 minutes on the court.
Meanwhile, it was a close one, but on Sunday the Nittany Lions sidestepped the Indiana Hoosiers for a 61-58 win. Guard Jalen Pickett (15 points) was the top scorer for Penn State.
The Wildcats are the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. Those burned by picking them against the spread on Sunday might want to keep in mind that the squad has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
Northwestern is now 8-3 while Penn State sits at 6-5. A pair of numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: Northwestern comes into the matchup boasting the fourth fewest turnovers per game in college basketball at 8.7. Less enviably, the Nittany Lions are stumbling into the game with the 357th fewest takeaways in college basketball, having accrued only 9.1 on average. So the cards are definitely stacked against Penn State.
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena -- Evanston, Illinois
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $42.49
Odds
The Wildcats are a big 7.5-point favorite against the Nittany Lions, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line has drifted a bit towards the Wildcats, as the game opened with the Wildcats as a 5.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Penn State have won six out of their last ten games against Northwestern.
- Jan 23, 2021 - Penn State 81 vs. Northwestern 78
- Mar 07, 2020 - Northwestern 80 vs. Penn State 69
- Feb 15, 2020 - Penn State 77 vs. Northwestern 61
- Feb 04, 2019 - Penn State 59 vs. Northwestern 52
- Mar 01, 2018 - Penn State 65 vs. Northwestern 57
- Jan 20, 2018 - Northwestern 70 vs. Penn State 61
- Jan 05, 2018 - Penn State 78 vs. Northwestern 63
- Dec 27, 2016 - Northwestern 87 vs. Penn State 77
- Mar 03, 2016 - Northwestern 71 vs. Penn State 61
- Jan 16, 2016 - Penn State 71 vs. Northwestern 62
Injury Report for Northwestern
- Julian Roper II: Game-Time Decision (Undisclosed)
Injury Report for Penn State
- Jevonnie Scott: Game-Time Decision (Not Injury Related)
