Seton Hall vs Penn State Odds, Lines, and Spread
- Seton Hall travels to University Park to face Penn State on Sunday night (8:00 pm ET, Dec. 5th)
- The Nittany Lions are 2.5-point home favorites
- Sascha Paruk’s 2020-21 picks record: 2-0-0 (+1.76 units)
Sunday night, the sputtering Seton Hall Pirates (1-3, 0-2 away) travel to the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA, to face the unbeaten Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0, 2-0 home) at 8:00 pm ET.
Penn State sits as a 2.5-point favorite on the morning of game day with the total at 146.5.
Seton Hall vs Penn State Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Point Spread | Over/Under Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seton Hall | +130 | +2.5 (-110) | Over 146.5 (-110) |
| Penn State | -150 | -2.5 (-110) | Under 146.5 (-110) |
Odds as of Dec. 6th at Bet365.
Penn State (Almost) Picks Up Where It Left Off
Despite losing leading scorer Lamar Stevens to the NBA, the Nittany Lions have looked reasonably good on offense through two games – the first two games in the Jim Ferry era. Penn State dropped 86 points on an overmatched VMI team in its opener and then put up 72 on a defensively stout VCU Rams (72-69).
Their offensive efficiency has dropped a tick compared to last season (110.3 vs 106.4) but it’s not a huge drop considering (a) they lost their only NBA-level talent, (b) they have a new head coach, and (c) offenses tend to get more efficient as seasons go on.
Sophomore forward Seth Lundy had the best game of his young career against VCU, dropping 32 points on 11-19 shooting from the floor. After his team blew a late eight-point lead, unheralded junior Myles Dread hit the game-winning three as time expired.
Seton Hall Is Struggling
On the other side, the Pirates have taken major steps back on both offense and defense. They finished last season rated 29th in offensive efficiency and 25th on defense. Through four games, they sit 56th and 64th, respectively.
Like Penn State, Seton Hall lost leading scorer Myles Powell to the Association. The Pirates also lost second-leading scorer Quincy McKnight (11.9 PPG, 5.4 APG). Powell and McKnight were the team’s starting backcourt and the offense has really struggled to replace their production.
A disappointing but encouraging one-point road loss to Louisville in the season-opener was followed by a going-away win over 244th-rated Iona (86-64). Since then, the Pirates have been dismantled by both Rhode Island (73-60 away) and Oregon (83-70 neutral).
Their 6’11 center, Sandro Mamukelashvili, has taken his game to a new level, as hoped (18.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG). But the production from the guards have been disappointing. The team is averaging just 13.3 assists per game while turning it over 13.8 times per game.
Bet Penn State to Cover
Penn State has looked considerably more in-tune so far this season. As mentioned, offenses tend to improve with more time on the court, so Seton Hall should find its footing (to some extent) down the road. But the recent returns give little confidence that this road game against a top-70 defense is going to be the turning point.
Lay 2.5 points with the better team at home.
Pick: Penn State -2.5 (-110)
Sascha was a hockey player in his youth, a lawyer in his capricious mid-20s, and has been with SBD since 2014. He specializes in football, basketball, politics, baseball, and hockey.
