| Team | Moneyline | Spread at DraftKings | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | TBD | +10 (-120) | O 140.5 (-120) |
| LSU | TBD | -10 (+100) | U 140.5 (+100) |
Odds as of November 25th, 2021.
Tari Eason and Brandon Murray each scored 15 points for LSU in Monday’s 30-point victory over the Bruins. Will Wade’s team has done it with defense so far this season, rating in the top-10 in four defensive categories on KenPom.
Meantime, Micah Shrewsberry’s club has been led by the dynamic duo of Sam Sessoms and Seth Lundy. The pair has combined to average 37.1 points (with Sessoms going for 19.3 per game and Lundy putting up 17.8 per contest). The blue and white tied a program record with 15 3-pointers against the previously unbeaten Big Red in an 11-point win.
Geaux Tigers D
As noted above, LSU has been dominant defending the rock through its first five games. The Tigers are 9th in defensive effective field goal percentage, 6th in defensive turnover percentage, 2nd in defensive block percentage and lead all of Division I in defensive steal percentage.
Wade’s commitment to shoring up the program’s defense has been noteworthy. This is a team that was dismal on the defensive glass (312th in rebound rate) and inside the arc (241st in 2P% defense) a year ago, Now, the Tigers are 102nd and 22nd, respectively in those two categories. The effort is showing in results, including Monday’s beatdown of a well-respected mid-major.
highlights & game recap from yesterday's 30-point dub over Belmont ⤵️
— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) November 23, 2021
Meantime on offense, senior forward Darius Days is coming off his worst game by far this season, only scoring nine points (on 1-of-6 shooting from the field) against Belmont. The 6-foot-7 Florida native is still leading the team in scoring at 19.2 points per game and is also grabbing 7.4 rebounds per game, good for second on the team. Look for him to bounce back in the Sunshine State.
After Days, Cincinnati transfer Eason immediately provides and upgrade to LSU’s interior defense and rebounding. And Reid — who is known for his skill set and immense size — should help as well. So far, so good for the duo, who are averaging 13.6 and 10.2 points per game so far.
LSU is a well-rounded team that knows how to score — and is showing it can stop the other team from scoring, too.
Picking Nits
Penn State enters Friday’s contest as 88th-rated team overall by KenPom. And with no freshmen and very little depth past the 8th man in the rotation. Shrewsberry will be earning his stripes in his first season heading up the program in State College. But the coach has a strong pedigree after serving as an assistant to Brad Stevens at Butler and the Celtics and also working under Matt Painter at Purdue.
I asked #PennState Coach Micah Shrewsberry on what impressed him the most through 4 games this season@NittanyLionWire pic.twitter.com/c8vdto4FTB
— David Malandra Jr (@DaveMReports) November 24, 2021
Three starters from last year’s squad — Lundy, John Harrar and Myles Dread — are back and have been solid so far. Lundy exploded in several games last year, scoring 31 against Maryland, 26 against Ohio State and 32 against VCU. The 6-foot-6 wing has been terrific in the early slate.
Late spark for Penn State here. Hustle plays from Dread and some really smooth offense from Sam Sessoms pic.twitter.com/jMIG1UDngR
— Max Ralph (@maxralph_) November 19, 2021
The true revelation, though, has been the play of former Binghamton transfer Sessoms. The 6-footer was essentially a sixth starter last year and was the highest-used player for the Lions when on the floor. After racking up points at Binghamton Sessoms proved he could score against Big Ten competition. Now, he just needs to be more efficient. He torched Cornell from beyond the arc, going 6-of-7 from distance after shooting 28% from deep last year despite 37% as a freshman.
Sessoms is best off ball screens where he can knife into the lane and create his own shot or set up shots for others. He’s the type of player that can ignite quickly — or go cold in a hurry.
The Pick
Penn State has proved to be a scrappy team once again this season, with plenty of talent in its inexperienced first-team. Its lack of depth may be an issue as the season wears on, but should give the Tigers a competitive effort Friday.
That said, with LSU’s rejuvenated play on defense — plus, its ability to score (Wade’s club has not put up less than 74 points in five games this season and is averaging 85 points a game) — the Tigers are the easy pick in this spot.
Pick: LSU -10 (+100)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD1500 & GET $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS
BET365 SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS WITH CODE DIME365
FANATICS SPORTSBOOKBET & GET UP TO $1,000 IN BONUS BETS!
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $150 IF YOUR BET WINS
CAESARS SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD2DYW & BET $1 TO DOUBLE THE WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 BETS!
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, KS, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA); (877) 8-HOPENY (NY); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); (888) 789-7777 (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN); mdgamblinghelp.org (MD); morethanagame.nc.gov (NC); 1800gambler.net (WV)
