Rutgers vs Penn State Predictions & Odds (Feb. 26)
- Penn State is a 2.5-point home favorite over Rutgers on Sunday night in a Big Ten game
- Penn State is on a three-game winning streak
- A look at the Rutgers vs Penn State odds and matchup can be found below with a prediction
Penn State will try to continue its late-season surge when it hosts slumping Rutgers at 6:30 pm ET Sunday in a Big Ten game at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park.
Penn State (17-11, 12-3 home, 8-9 Big Ten) is on a three-game winning streak after losing four in a row and defeated Ohio State 75-71 on Thursday on the road. Rutgers (17-11, 3-6 road, 9-8 Big Ten) lost to Michigan 58-45 on Thursday on the road for its fourth defeat in its last five games.
The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
Rutgers vs Penn State Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers | OFF | +2.5 (-110) | Over 132 (-110) |
| Penn State | OFF | -2.5 (-110) | Under 132 (-110) |
Penn State is a 2.5-point favorite over Rutgers in the college basketball odds. Both teams have been profitable against the spread this season as the Scarlet Knights are 17-11 and the Nittany Lions have a 16-11-1 record.
Odds as of February 25th at DraftKings.
Rutgers Betting Outlook
Rutgers burst to a 13-3 lead Thursday with 11:52 left in the first half. However, Scarlet Knights then scored 32 points in the last 31 minutes in losing to Michigan.
Rutgers had a poor shooting night. They made just 38.3% (18 of 47) of their field goal attempts and went a putrid 5 for 16 (31.3%) at the free throw line.
Senior guard Cam Spencer led Rutgers with 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
For the season, the Loyola Maryland transfer is averaging 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals a game. He is second in the Big Ten in steals behind fellow Rutgers senior guard Caleb McConnell (2.5).
Cam Spencer shows true class by practicing with a ladder. pic.twitter.com/1cMynlQQ14
— Lunchman (@noah_dinerman) February 24, 2023
Junior center Clifford Omoruyi posted 10 points and 10 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season. He has averages of 13.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, and is third in the conference in boards and rejections.
Rutgers is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking seventh in points allowed (59.8), ninth in field goal percentage allowed (38.9) and 19th in three-point percentage allowed (29.9).
Penn State Betting Outlook
Senior guard Jalen Pickett scored 21 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to lift Penn State over Ohio State on Thursday. He also had each of the Nittany Lions’ last 14 points.
Pickett made 8 of 11 field goal attempts in a game that was tied 37-all at halftime.
An All-America candidate, Pickett is averaging 18.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.9 assists a game. He tops the Big Ten in assists and is fourth in scoring while his Wooden Award odds are +20000.
Behind Pickett, Penn State shot 51.9% (27 of 52) overall and 52.6% (10 of 19) from three-point range. The Nittany Lions had just four turnovers but forced Ohio State into only one.
Jalen Pickett out of Penn State is a draft sleeper. The 6’4 PG is averaging 18/7/7 while shooting 50% from the field and he’s a career 35% 3pt shooter on 5 attempts a game. He also doesn’t have a lot of turnovers with a TOV% of 11. He’s a really good shot creator as well. pic.twitter.com/x708e9ihFL
— KJ (@KJ__Hoops) January 18, 2023
Senior wing Seth Lundy added 19 points and made 4 of 8 three-point attempts. Senior guard Camren Wynter contributed 18 points.
Lundy is averaging 14.6 points and 6.1 rebounds. Senior guard Andrew Funk has a 12.1 scoring average.
Penn State is eighth in Division I in three-point shooting (39.2%), 46th in free throw percentage (75.3) and 47th in overall field goal shooting (47.0%).
Rutgers vs Penn State Prediction
Rutgers has won two games in a row over Penn State, including rolling to a 65-45 victory on January 24 at home. Omoruyi topped the Scarlet Knights with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Pickett paced the Nittany Lions with 15 points.
Look for Penn State and Pickett to avenge that loss as Rutgers is stumbling to the finish line of the regular season.
Pick: Penn State -2.5 (-110)
Season record: 32-25 (+4.6 units) ATS, 4-9 (-4.5 units) ML
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John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
