Michigan State vs Penn State Odds & Predictions (Dec. 7)

• Michigan State and Penn State meet in a Big Ten game in State College on Wednesday, December 7.
• Penn State State is a 4.5-point home favorite against the Spartans
• Read below for Michigan State vs Penn State odds and prediction

Michigan State (5-4, 0-1 Big Ten) is a 4.5-point underdog at Penn State in a Big Ten game at 6:30 pm ET Wednesday on the Big Ten Network. The Spartans have lost two in a row and opened conference play with a 70-63 home loss to Northwestern the last time out Sunday.

Penn State (6-2, 0-0 Big Ten) has lost two of its last four, falling twice to ACC opponents on the road, entering its Big Ten opener. The Nittany Lions are 5-0 at home.

Michigan State vs Penn State Odds

Odds from FanDuel on Dec. 6. Claim this week’s FanDuel promos. 

Penn State is a 4.5-point home favorite against Michigan State in the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten opener. The Spartans are 6-3 SU and 4-5 ATS in the last nine meetings, with six going under the total, and 3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS in the last four. The teams split the series last season, each winning at home. Michigan State had been favored in each of the last 30 games against Penn State.

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Michigan State is 3-6 ATS this season, 1-5 ATS in the last six, covering only as a 3.5-point favorite in a 74-70 victory over Oregon in the second round of the Phil Knight Invitational on Nov. 26,  Penn State is 6-2 ATS this season, covering its first six. The total has gone over in six of the Spartans’ nine games and under in five of the Nittany Lions’ eight.

Michigan State Struggles

Michigan State always plays a testing nonconference schedule, and this season was no exception. The Spartans played consecutive games against No. 18 Gonzaga, No. 16 Kentucky, Villanova and No. 8 Alabama in a 15-day span, losing the first and last. What hurt more was the loss of forward and key component 6’8 Malik Hall, who suffered a knee injury against Villanova, has not played since, and is expected to miss another two weeks.

MALIK HALL DOES IT AGAIN FOR MICHIGAN STATE! WE'RE HEADED TO DOUBLE OVERTIMEhttps://t.co/vnaUu54YHY https://t.co/87Y7Y6kU0Q

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) November 16, 2022

Hall is averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the field, and his physical play is missed. The Spartans, always a strong rebounding team, have been outrebounded in four of five games without Hall. The Spartans also have been without sophomore guard Jaden Akins since he suffered a left foot injury against Villanova. It was anticipated he would play rotation minutes behind starters 6′ Tyson Walker (14.4 points, 4.0 assists and 6′ 1 A. J. Hoggard (11.6 points, 6.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds).

Senior 6’9 forward Joey Hauser is averaging 13.2 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds, but he does most of his damage from the perimeter. He has 19 three-pointers and is shooting 44.2 percent from distance. Forward 6’9 Mady Sissoko (8.0 points, 5.8 rebounds) is the lone inside presence.

Penn State Starts Quickly

Portal transfers Camren Wynter and Andrew Funk have fit nicely with returning leading scorers Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy to give the Nittany Lions a smallish but effective starting group. Senior 6’4 Pickett, one of the least-publicized top guards in Division I, is averaging 16.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds, a step up in every category from 2021-22, his first season in Happy Valley after transferring from Siena.

Highest offensive ratings in the country among players used on 28.0+ % of possessions (@kenpomeroy):

1⃣ Tylor Perry, 130.6
2⃣ Zach Edey, 130.3
3⃣ Jacob Ognacevic, 128.0
4⃣ Jalen Pickett, 122.8
5⃣ Marcus Sasser, 122.5
6⃣ 𝗝𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝟭𝟮𝟭.𝟳

— Blazer Ball (@BlazerHoops365) December 1, 2022

Forward 6’6 Lundy (13.6 points, 7.1 rebounds) also has improved his numbers from a ago, and former Drexel guard 6’2 Wynter (11.6 points) and former Bucknell guard 6’5 Funk (11.0) has made the step up in class effortlessly. Second-year coach Micah Shrewsberry inserted 6’10 freshman Kebba Njie into the starting lineup the last three games, but the Nittany Lions often play a small-ball group that includes senior guard 6’4 Myles Dredd (7.5 points). Beefy 6’9 John Harrar is gone after anchoring the middle the last two years, and it remains to be seen how much he will be missed in conference play.

Michigan State vs Penn State Prediction

Penn State won the last meeting at home Feb. 15, when Lundy scored 17 points and Harrar and a 16/16 double-double. With Harrar, the Nittany Lions held their own on the boards. The question is if they be able to do it again. Hall’s absence will be a factor. Pickett will be the best player on the floor and will make a difference.

• Pick: Penn State -4.5 (-105)
• Season CBK: 9-3 ATS